RENEWAL OF MAINTENANCE FUNDING ON MAY 3 BALLOT
The Livingston Parish School Board is asking voters to renew a 7.0 millage property assessment dedicated to funding day-to-day maintenance repairs and small projects for every building in the school district. Election Day is May 3.
The 10-year renewal is NOT a new property assessment. It will NOT increase the mills currently paid by taxpayers.
The 7.0 millage generates approximately $6 million per year, which pays for half of all maintenance repairs across the district. Voters in Livingston Parish created this dedicated funding source in the 1950s and have supported its continued renewal for nearly 70 years.
Livingston Parish Public Schools is the state’s eighth largest school district with nearly 27,000 students. The district manages more than 50 sites with more than 560 buildings that encompass a total of 4.3 million square feet.
DENHAM VENOM MAKES LOUISIANA ROBOTICS HISTORY
The Denham Venom students stand alongside other global division winners on the Einstein Fields in Houston, Texas, at the 2025 FIRST Robotic World Championships. The Denham Venom Drive Team included Jacob Duke, Evan Durbin, Nicholas Carpenter, and Sebastian Cupit, led by Drive Coach Rohit Gondi. Their efforts reflected the work of 45 team members.
The Denham Springs High School robotics team recently made history, becoming the first Louisiana team to win a Division Title at the FIRST Robotics World Championships that were held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, April 16-19.
FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – is the world’s largest robotics competition. High school teams from around the world are given six to eight weeks to design, build and program a fully functional 140-pound robot. This year, 600 of 3,700 teams were selected for the Championship competition.
At the 2025 World Championships, the team was the No. 1 team overall in the Archimedes Division, winning 9 of its 10 qualifying matches, to compete in the finals with teams from countries like Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, China, Israel and others.
The Denham Venom team earned its place on the world stage by competing in three different regional competitions in three different states. The team was a finalist in two of the competitions and earned first place in the Bayou Regional, which was held in Louisiana.
STEM SHARKS TEAM ADVANCES TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Livingston Parish Council recently honored the DSHS Shark Team at one of their board meetings. Council Chairman Billy Taylor presented the Shark Team with a resolution of commendation. Pictured from left to right are: (front center) Taylor; (front row) Alexa Rodriguez, Juan Rendon-Garces, Madison Sanders, Adalyn Farrell, Shark Team Sponsor Mark Zweig, Parish President Randy Delatte, Councilman Ricky Goff; (back row) Council members Erin Sandefur, John Mangus, John Wascom, Ryan Chavers, Dean Coats, Joe Erdey and Lonny Watts. Shark Team members not pictured are Khadija Henni and Mohamed Henni.
The Denham Springs High School STEM Sharks Enterprise Design Engineering Team has been named a national finalist for the 15th Annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, which recognizes high school initiatives that propose innovative solutions to critical issues in communities.
The Sharks Team was selected for designing a software application and device to educate and bring understanding to residents who have questions and concerns about the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project proposed for the Lake Maurepas area.
Students created an app that will allow residents to get information about CCS, current (simplified) conditions on the lake, conditions at a site of their choice, and information on how to contact authorities if a leak is suspected. The app is available for any device.
The Sharks Team will travel to Washington, D.C., April 27-29 as one of only 10 national finalists selected from the 50 state winners in the competition involving thousands of high schools and middle schools across the country. The team is guaranteed a $50,000 award in Samsung technology and classroom supplies, along with paid travel for team members.
ALBANY & SPRINGFIELD JUNIORS RECOGNIZED FOR INTEGRITY
Members of the Albany Masonic Lodge recently presented the 2025 Honesty and Integrity Awards to four high school students. Pictured from left to right are Lodge leaders Byron Wild and Jeremy Dickerson; Iris Stilley, who accepted the award for her grandson, Albany High School Junior Jonah Grob; Award Winner Albany High School Junior Abigail McAlister; Award Winners Springfield High School Juniors Logan Milton and Olivia Arne; and Lodge leaders Coty Harty and Ronald Stilley,
Four Livingston Parish high school students have been recognized for their good character and for being role models in their schools.
The Albany Masonic Lodge #466 presented its Honesty and Integrity Award on Thursday, April 17, to Jonah Grob and Abigail McAlister from Albany High School, and Logan Milton and Oliva Arnie from Springfield High School. All four students are juniors at their schools.
The Honesty and Integrity award program was instituted in 1977 by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana to recognize the deserving youth of today who possess the qualities to become leaders of tomorrow. Annually, lodges select deserving juniors from each high school in their region.