Louisiana

Wealthier and Whiter: Louisiana School District Secession Gets a Major Boost

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

Wealthier and Whiter: Louisiana School District Secession Gets a Major Boost

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A recent decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court handed a decisive win to backers of a long-running campaign to create a new, overwhelmingly white Baton Rouge-area school system, further concentrating poverty in the remaining, majority-Black part of the district.

When finalized, the secession will likely cost East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools 10,000 students and 25% of its $700 million budget, school board President Dadrius Lanus estimated.

“This is all rooted in institutional racism,” he said in an interview. “It’s about what white, middle-class people want for their kids.”

Barring complications, it will be the fifth time in nearly a quarter-century that part of the district has broken off and formed its own school system. Currently, the district — Louisiana’s second-largest — has 40,000 students. Ninety percent are impoverished.

A complicated tangle of laws governs the creation of new school districts, with the most straightforward path being the formation of a new municipality corresponding to the area seeking to break away. A decade ago, residents of the affluent southeast quadrant of the parish began campaigning to create a new city, St. George.

In 2019, 54% of the area’s residents voted to incorporate as a standalone municipality. Baton Rouge leaders sued, and in late April the state’s high court ruled in favor of the new city’s proponents. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry will now appoint St. George’s first mayor and five city council members.

The St. George area is represented by East Baton Rouge School Board member Nathan Rust, who backed the breakaway. Rust could not immediately be reached for comment, but his campaign website includes a statement decrying the condition of local schools.

“Our schools in District 6 are overcrowded and fraught with violence, disruption and an exodus of quality teachers,” it states. “After 20 years of Board Tenure, how is this the best public education offered to our children?” Many parents, it adds, “resort to spending their hard-earned money on private schools because they have no better option.”

In 2109, The 74 published a deep dive into a decades-long school integration scheme that shaped the district, the first four secessions and the potential implications of a St. George breakaway. Under the terms of a desegregation order — no longer in force — many East Baton Rouge students attend magnet schools that are spread throughout the district. Consequently, many children who live in the most impoverished neighborhoods — many still devastated by recent floods — attend schools in the St. George area.

According to Lanus, the existing district has 90 days to “annex” the 10 existing schools and two properties where it had planned to build schools within the new city’s boundaries — all of which were purchased or built by parish taxpayers. St. George residents would then have a choice: pay to build their own schools, or attempt to buy existing school facilities and lots from the East Baton Rouge district. As yet unknown is whether the district would be willing to sell and, if not, how many students would be bused into the new city to attend existing district schools.

The secession would also shift an unknown but significant amount of local tax revenue to the new city, further straining the East Baton Rouge district’s coffers. Lanus estimates the district will lose some $150 million in per-pupil state and federal aid, plus money that is supposed to flow to children in poverty, magnet school students and those receiving special education or gifted-and-talented services.

“I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve gotten from parents saying, ‘What’s going to happen to my kids?’ ” said Lanus. “We don’t have any time to waste.”

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 23, 2025

Published

3 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 23, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 23 drawing

15-37-38-41-64, Mega Ball: 21

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 23 drawing

3-1-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 23 drawing

4-6-9-2

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 23 drawing

9-0-4-5-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Louisiana

What CBD is legal in Louisiana? See state law for 2026

Published

15 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

What CBD is legal in Louisiana? See state law for 2026

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a non-intoxicating compound from the cannabis or hemp plant that does not cause a “high,” unlike THC, according to the CDC.

CBD was first approved as a drug for the treatment of seizures in children with severe forms of epilepsy, but now, CBD is used for other purposes like pain relief, sleep and general wellness, says Brown University Health.

Despite CBD’s availability and supposed benefits, CBD products are not risk free, as there are possible side effects and risks associated with CBD use, according to Brown University Health.

What is Louisiana’s state law for CBD in 2025? What to know

Under the Agriculture Improvement Act in 2018, hemp was removed from the federal Controlled Substances Act, which effectively legalized CBD if it comes from hemp, according to the CDC.

Despite hemp-derived CBD being legal at the federal level, some states have not removed hemp from their state’s-controlled substances acts, meaning that the legality of CBD products varies across states, says the CDC.

Following the enactment of this legislation, Louisiana passed Act 164 in 2019, effectively legalizing the cultivation and production of industrial hemp in the state, says Louisiana State Cannabis.

The legislation defined hemp as a cannabis plant containing no more than 0.3% THC, therefore, CBD products derived from hemp are legal in Louisiana. However, marijuana-derived CBD remains illegal for recreational use in the state, according to Louisiana State Cannabis.

Although, Louisiana enacted Act 491 in 2015, which allows the use of medical marijuana, as well as marijuana-derived CBD, to treat certain diseases and medical conditions in the state, says Louisiana State Cannabis.

Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com

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Louisiana

‘One suicide is too many;’ Man runs across Louisiana to raise awareness for veteran, teen suicide

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

‘One suicide is too many;’ Man runs across Louisiana to raise awareness for veteran, teen suicide

La. (KPLC) – A run across Louisiana has come to an end, but the conversation it sparked is far from over.

Jeremy Adams, a Louisiana veteran who served in Afghanistan, completed the run to raise money for a public high school while drawing attention to veteran and teen suicide.

The run began Friday, Dec. 18 at the Texas state line at Bon Weir and stretched more than 100 miles across the state, ending in Natchez, Mississippi.

“Finished around 10 o’clock last night (Dec. 21) in Natchez. I got a police escort by the Vidalia Police Department over the river bridge,” Adams said.

Adams says the run was not easy and hopes this inspires others to keep moving forward, no matter what battle they may be facing.

“I was tired. I ran at night. My feet are hurting; I got screws in my feet. I kept moving forward; I didn’t quit. That’s what I wanted to teach veterans and kids (contemplating) suicide, don’t quit. There’s somebody out there that cares. Don’t end the story before God gives you a chance to show you his plans,” he said.

Adams says the run raised money for East Beauregard High School, the school that Adams says gave him a second family.

“In 2017, a good friend of mine there died of a drug overdose, and that’s what got me running. I quit drinking that year, quit smoking the following May, and then I decided to start running,” Adams said.

Adams is a veteran himself and has overcome his own battles with drug and alcohol addiction, which led him to be interested in running.

“In 2011, the Lord changed everything. I got wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. It shattered both my heel bones. They said it was a 50% chance I would walk again,” he said.

Although the run is over, Adams says the mission continues, urging people to talk, listen, and take action.

“One suicide is too many; there are gentlemen out there who went to battle, saw combat, and came home and still see that combat on a daily basis. If they need help, reach out and get help,” Adams said.

Adams says all proceeds from the run will go toward supporting students at East Beauregard High School.

If you’d like to donate to Adams’ cause, you can do so through his GoFundMe.

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