The Zachary Community School District (ZCSD) announced a November 15, 2025, ballot initiative dubbed “Zachary Forward”, aimed at redirecting existing school bond taxes, once they are rolled back, toward critical needs in the district, without raising the tax rate on residents. The proposal would authorize the ZCSD Board to incrementally reallocate millages from bonds that are being paid off over the next 8 years to fund employee compensation increases, facility repairs, and technology upgrades for classrooms.  

Superintendent Ben Necaise shared, “Our teachers, students, and community deserve the best,  and we have a unique chance to invest in that, with no additional tax millage increase for our community. By gradually reallocating the taxes we’re already paying, we can create a plan to  significantly raise employee pay, fix aging school buildings, and update classroom technology all at the same tax rate or less.”  

The Zachary Forward initiative comes as ZCSD’s previous school construction bonds, funded by a 36-mill property tax, near maturity. If approved by voters, the measure would maintain the millage rate currently collected for bonds at a decreased 24 mills and allow the district to use the reduced millage over time to address three specified areas: 

· Teacher and Staff Pay: The majority of the future funds collected would enable more competitive salaries to recruit and retain quality educators (neighboring districts have implemented raises, and ZCSD aims to be more competitive).  

· Facilities Maintenance: addressing needed repairs and upgrades in school buildings that are 10–20 years old, such as roof replacements, HVAC systems, and continued safety improvements.  

· Technology for Students and Staff: providing a sustainable funding source for modern classroom technology and equipment replacements, ensuring students have up-to-date learning tools through predictable upgrade rotations. 

District officials stress that this will not result in a tax millage increase, but a rededication of an existing tax incrementally over time. “Voters will see the proposition on the ballot, and it will clearly state that this reallocation will not increase millages past the current rate of 24 mills,” said  Necaise. “Once the bonds are paid in full, this allows us to keep approximately $8.5 million per year working in our schools, once the facility bonds are paid off, rather than losing that funding.”  

The initiative was developed after extensive ZCSD stakeholder input and strategic planning. A community advisory group identified employee pay, facility upkeep, and technology as top priorities for the district. The School Board voted to place the measure on the ballot, reflecting broad support for the plan.  

Over the next five months, the ZCSD will host a variety of informational meetings and have easily accessible answers to many FAQs on their website  

(http://www.zacharyschools.org/zachary-forward-initiative) to educate voters.  

If you are interested in having district team members present to a group of stakeholders or community members, please reach out to [email protected] 

If you are not a registered voter or need to update your voter location, for this election, you  must be registered at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through GeauxVote Online Registration System with a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card or 30  days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail to be eligible to vote in this  particular election. If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days before the first election in which you seek to vote. You can visit the Secretary of State website for more information and access. Early voting for the November 15th election will run from November 1st to 8th, excluding Sunday, November 2nd, from 8:30 am to 6 pm.  

For more information about the Zachary Forward initiative, visit  

http://www.zacharyschools.org/zachary-forward-initiative or contact the Superintendent’s  Office/ZCSD Communications at 225-658-4969 or [email protected]. 

For more coverage on the Zachary Forward Initiative: WBRZ: 2 the Classroom-Zachary schools