DEAR EDITOR: For several years, St. John the Baptist Parish has tried to give the public school teachers a wage increase through an increase in our local taxes. For several years, voters did not vote for this tax increase because the additional money would go into a general fund. This past fall I attended my children’s open house where a school board member spoke on the merits of this pay increase. He, as well as our school principal, assured the parents that this money was being put into an account specifically earmarked for teacher pay raises. That said, I campaigned among my family and friends in favor of this tax increase because I believed the teachers of St. John the Baptist Parish deserved to have their wages increased. I voted for the increase and obviously so did others because the increase in the local tax passed. The last week in January I was pleased to read in the newspaper that our well-deserving teachers received an increase in their wages, with the promise of another increase in May. I felt proud that my vote helped do that for the hard-working teachers at my children’s school. Now, I received a note from the school board, stating there will be no school on Feb. 12 due to a “sickout.” On the other side of the same note, there was a message from our school’s principal saying, “an overwhelming majority of our faculty and staff did not support a work stoppage.” I do believe that. However, by participating in this “work stoppage,” there are repercussions. I will have to pay for daycare for my children. Should I opt to stay home, I lose that day’s wages. The students will have to make up the work they missed that day and they will have to make up the day of school at another time. The students are being punished for something they have no control of. Who is looking out for the best interest of the students of St. John the Baptist Parish? I’m sorry to say it is not the teachers I had so believed in and supported. We, the parents of St. John the Baptist Parish, have no control over the state of Louisiana – we did our job. We voted to give our public school teachers a raise. We are taking care of our own. I consider this “work stoppage” a smack in the face and I will never support an increase in my taxes for any reason whatsoever again.

Cindy Huffman

LaPlace