Commentary

Board OK’s Privatization

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board agreed Thursday to enter into a $22.5 million annual contract that would hand over more than 400 custodial services, groundskeeping, maintenance and warehousing jobs to a private company. In a separate move, the School Board approved by an 8-3 vote an unrelated privatization proposal in which Health Care Centers in Schools will take over school nursing services. The contract is projected to save the school system $6.5 million next year, at a time when it is facing a budget deficit ranging from $13.2 million to $16 million, depending on how much revenue the school system gets from local taxes and state appropriations