PORT ALLEN - All four parish-wide tax renewals on the November ballot for West Baton Rouge passed, with a fifth passing for residents of Port Allen.

Two of the parish-wide renewals revolved around the parish school system, being 10-year renewals of 12 mills that fund teachers' and staff's salaries and benefits.

"This generates about $19 million for us as a school system. We use 100% of these funds for all of our teachers and salaries, their salaries and benefits for teachers and staff. What this allows us to do is just to continue our payroll," West Baton Rouge Schools Superintendent Chandler Smith said.

The $19 million is about 25% of the school system's budget. It will allow WBR schools the opportunity to retain and recruit staff, rather than potentially having to reduce them.

"We've had increases in health insurance costs. We've had increases in just operational costs. This helps us to meet those costs," Smith said.

In addition, it will allow the schools to keep smaller class sizes.

"In early childhood, you're looking at 17 in some of those classes, in Head Start, in kindergarten, you're looking at about 20. In our 1st through 3rd grade, we try to keep them 22-23 in the class, which we'd like to go smaller, but it's difficult when those numbers get larger," Smith said.

WBRZ also spoke with Dr. Kizzy Crocket, a fifth-grade math teacher at Brusly Upper Elementary School. She has taught there for 20 years.

"Of course, we are excited about it, we're grateful about it, but I think it is more like a relief because we know that the funding that we had will be able to be sustained," Crockett said.

For both teachers and students, West Baton Rouge says this will allow the system to continue academic progress. Crockett says she is very excited to continue working in a place that she loves.

"I am now officially a grant teacher, which means I'm teaching the second generation, and so it is wonderful to be able to see my students grow, have their own children, and then have their children come through the school as well," Crockett said.

Smith told WBRZ that this new renewal will start funding in 2027.