In the months leading up to the May 16 election, East Baton Rouge Parish has been dotted with signs asking voters to “Vote 'No' for St. George School District,” in reference to Amendment 2 — which would let the city of St. George break away from East Baton Rouge Public Schools.
They came in all different flavors with a wide range of designs and styles. Malika Wyche, one of the founders of the political action committee PULSE 225, said this was done because the anti-St. George School District movement was a grassroots campaign.
“This was like tribes of different people coming together to say ‘No,’ and that was displayed no better than the signs,” Wyche said.
In the case of the signs, it was ask, and you shall receive.
Voters rejected Amendment 2 resoundingly. Of the total 787,521 votes cast, 64% of voters statewide rejected the amendment. In East Baton Rouge, 69% of voters rejected it.
Wyche said it shows a shift in the St. George voter base.
“This part of Baton Rouge is very diverse, and it’s rapidly growing,” she said. “And I think what’s gonna have to happen is that (St George leaders) are gonna have to decide to serve the community that exists now, not the community that they imagined 15 years ago.”
Dadrius Lanus, a member of the East Baton Rouge Public Schools board and the executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, said this shows voters' approval of EBR Schools.
“We are moving and trending in the right direction,” Lanus said. “I know we could talk about what happened in the past, but what is important is what we do in the future.”
Operations at EBR Schools will continue as they were with the amendment’s failure — dodging a $60 million hole in their budget had St. George been able to split off.
EBR Schools is also continuing projects related to St. George, using a bond to improve some schools in the city, and plans are in motion to build a new school.
“We’re gonna hold true to what we told the citizens of St George,” Lanus said. “We had a 10-year investment plan. We had $70 million that we had on the table to help St. George schools, because we know it’s a growing area and we’re gonna invest in our kids.”
WRKF reached out to Dustin Yates, St. George’s mayor, after the election’s results. He had not responded at the time of publication of this article, but he told The Baton Rouge Advocate that he was disappointed by the results.
"Obviously, I’m disappointed," Yates told The Advocate. "I’m disappointed for the kids in St. George. I’m disappointed for the families that have put so much into this for the last 15 years.”
Moving forward, organizers at Pulse 225 invite people who voted for the new school district to come to the table and share their ideas for EBR Schools to make the whole parish better.
“There’s no such thing as trying to give your child an advantage without trying to disadvantage somebody’s child,” Wyche said. “Every child’s education in this parish is our concern, and their outcomes are our concern."
