Did You Know? 46% of St. Tammany’s Property Tax Revenue Goes to Our Public Schools

That makes public education the largest single recipient of property-tax revenue in the parish — and taxpayers deserve to know how that money is being used

Did You Know?

46% of St. Tammany’s Property Tax Revenue Goes to Our Public Schools

That makes public education the largest single recipient of property-tax revenue in the parish — and taxpayers deserve to know how that money is being used.

When we talk about public education, we usually talk about students, teachers, test scores, school safety and facilities. But there is another part of the conversation that every St. Tammany Parish taxpayer has a stake in: the money. According to the St. Tammany Parish Assessor, property taxes across our parish in 2025 totaled approximately $399.2 million. Of that amount, approximately $184.3 million — 46.2% — went to our public schools. Put another way, for every dollar of property-tax revenue across St. Tammany Parish, approximately 46 cents goes to public education. That makes education, by far, the largest single recipient of property-tax revenue in the parish.

For some perspective, the Assessor's figures consistently show just how large that investment is. In 2024, fire protection collectively received nearly 20 cents of every property-tax dollar, while law enforcement received less than 8 cents. Public schools received more property-tax revenue than fire protection and law enforcement combined. The schools' share also increased in 2025. In 2024, public schools received about 44% of parishwide property-tax revenue. In 2025, that share increased to 46.2%, even as total parishwide property-tax revenue declined.

That's not an argument that we're spending too much on education. Strong public schools are one of the most important investments a community can make. But when nearly half of our property-tax revenue supports one public institution, taxpayers have every right to understand where that money goes, how it is being spent, and what results we're getting from that investment.

Transparency Matters

The School Board oversees hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Some of that money is restricted for specific purposes, some pays debt, and some supports the day-to-day operation of our schools. Property taxes are only part of the picture: the district also receives substantial revenue from local sales taxes and from the state and federal governments.

It's a complicated financial picture — but complexity shouldn't be an excuse for taxpayers not understanding it. I believe one of the responsibilities of a School Board member is to help make that information understandable and accessible to the people we represent. Residents shouldn't have to be accountants to understand their school system's finances.

It's About Priorities

The budget ultimately comes down to choices about where limited resources are spent.

Mine are straightforward:

1. SAFETY — Students, teachers and staff deserve schools where they can learn and work safely.

2. TRANSPARENCY — Taxpayers deserve open, understandable accounting of how their money is collected, spent and measured.

3. COMPENSATION — We need competitive compensation that allows St. Tammany to attract and retain excellent teachers and support employees.

Those priorities are connected. Every dollar we can save through better management, responsible staffing, competitive purchasing or greater efficiency is a dollar that can potentially be directed toward the things that matter most. At the same time, permanent commitments like employee raises require sustainable, recurring funding. Fiscal responsibility means looking beyond next year's budget and making sure the decisions we make today remain affordable tomorrow.

My Commitment

With approximately 46% of parish property-tax revenue going to public education, the School Board has an enormous responsibility — both to our students and employees and to the taxpayers who fund our schools.

If I have the opportunity to serve District 7, my commitment is simple: be present, attend the meetings, listen to the public and the administration, ask questions, study the numbers, and make decisions based on facts.

That also means helping residents better understand where their tax dollars are going and why decisions are being made. Transparency shouldn't begin and end with making financial documents available online. It should mean making the information understandable and giving the public an opportunity to be heard. Our schools belong to this community, and the taxpayers who support them deserve a School Board that is engaged, informed and accountable.

That is the approach I intend to bring to the School Board.

This post is on my Facebook page so let me know what you think.

Source: St. Tammany Parish Assessor, 2025 Revenue by Agency and 2024 Quadrennial Report.

Figures are parishwide estimates published by the Assessor; an individual property owner's breakdown varies by municipality and taxing district.