We're attending this meeting to say to the school board, "No more blank checks. It's time to ACT to set up standards and criteria for industrial tax exemptions."

Since 2000, East Baton Rouge public schools have lost $438 million in funding on industrial exemptions from school property taxes.

EBR schools lost $28 million in 2017 alone -- enough to give every teacher and other school district employee a $4,000 annual raise.

After 18 months, the EBR Parish School Board STILL has not set up program standards and criteria for industrial tax exemptions. The Board is considering a corporate tax exemption at this meeting, with NO standards in place.

We're urging the School Board to postpone ANY approvals or consideration of industrial tax exemptions until it has set up its own clear, objective standards and criteria for the program.