THE ZACHA Y
ADVOCATE& T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, J u ly 1, 2026
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12TH YEAR, NO. 38
Voters say yes to Zachary Schools property tax plan BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
The second time was the charm for the Zachary Community School District, with its tax proposal funding employee pay raises succeeding at the polls Saturday. More than 60% of voters said yes to the Zachary Forward initiative, which
will take an existing 24-mill property tax and redirect its proceeds toward raises for teachers and staff at no additional cost to residents. The measure failed when the district initially put it on the ballot in November. About 6,000 people voted on the item, putting the unofficial turnout at 32.7%, according to election results
from the Secretary of State’s Office. Superintendent Ben Necaise and his staff have spent the past several weeks campaigning for the proposal. Necaise talked it up at local organizations’ lunch gatherings and hosted town hall meetings. A series of videos featuring testimonials about Zachary schools
appeared on Facebook in recent days. The district shared a celebratory message on Facebook late Saturday night. “We are all smiles with VERY grateful hearts!!!” the post said. “THANK YOU Zachary for the love and support of our employees, students and the Z community!”
Necaise has said that Zachary is falling behind other districts when it comes to employee pay, creating concerns about recruitment and retention. Teachers currently start at $50,000 a year; now that the tax measure has been approved, they are expected to get a $10,000 raise. Employees in support roles will earn $5,000 more
annually. The original version of Zachary Forward from November called for steering tax collections not only to pay raises but also technology and facility upgrades. Those additional planks were dropped when district leaders decided to put the initiative before voters a second time.
PROVIDED PHOTOS BY ZACHARY YOUTH PARK DRONE FOOTAGE
Zachary Youth Park baseball field
Zachary Youth Park superintendent shares what it’s like at the parks during the summer Writing sports articles in the summer is hard. To seek inspiration, go no further than to the place where the maximum amount of activity is taking place, which is the Zachary Youth Park. I reached out to Park Superintendent Gordon “P-Wee” Leblanc to help me explain the importance of the Zachary Warren Youth Park. Instead of Brady an interview, he instead ZACHARY wrote the whole article SPORTS that follows to provide a personal perspective. Take it away P-Wee. On most evenings at Zachary Youth Park, the soundtrack is familiar: cleats on concrete, parents settling into bleachers, coaches calling out reminders and the sharp pop of a ball meeting a glove under the lights. For athletes of all ages in Zachary — from 4-year-olds taking their first swings to 74-year-old men competing in recreational leagues — the city-operated complex has become more than a place to play. It is where first swings are taken, rivalries are renewed, tournament weekends bring new faces to town and families gather around the steady
Zachary Youth Park softball field. rhythm of baseball and softball seasons. The 33-acre park provides year-round programming and facilities for youth baseball and softball, while also serving Zachary High School teams and local recreational leagues. It’s a mix of synthetic turf fields, T-ball diamonds, batting cages, concession areas, walking paths and nearby community amenities has helped make the park one of the area’s busiest sports destinations.
The complex includes nine turf fields, eight Little League fields used for T-ball, 11-12U baseball and softball games, a high school softball field with locker room space, and baseball fields used by high school and middle school programs. An indoor facility with batting cages, pitching lanes, locker rooms and a trainer area that gives athletes a place to work when weather or schedules move practice away from the main dia-
monds. That all-weather setup matters in south Louisiana, where a rainy week can quickly disrupt a season. Turf fields help keep games moving, while covered batting cage areas and indoor training space give coaches more options for development. The result is a park that can host league play, school games and large tournament weekends with fewer interruptions. Tournaments have become a major part of the park’s identity. Events hosted through organizations such as USSSA and 2-D along with showcase-style softball tournaments and benefit events, bring players, coaches, families and scouts to Zachary throughout the year. On busy weekends, the park can feel like a small baseball village, with teams moving between fields, parents setting up chairs and concession stands serving steady lines between innings. The impact extends beyond the scoreboard. Visiting teams fill parking lots, stop at local restaurants and introduce out-of-town families to Zachary. For local players, those tournaments offer a chance to compete against different opponents without leaving home, and
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Miss Zachary Pageant set Zachary schools, bus company Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY
A Miss Zachary Pageant will be held Aug. 8 at the St. John the Baptist Church gym. Divisions range from babies to adults. For information, email contact@lacotillionaux.org. Miss Zachary queens will reign as hostess at the Zachary Really Hot Air Balloon Festival and represent and promote the festival.
Learn about menopause Menopausium: Strong through the Shift will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 18 at Americana YMCA, 4200 Liberty Way, Zachary. It will feature education, local wellness vendors,
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spar over liability in alleged rape BY QUINN COFFMAN
prevent the sexual assault since the girl was under their supervision. According to the suit, a bus driver employed The Zachary Community School District by First Student was present during the Noand its contracted school bus operator are vember 2023 attack and failed to protect the sparring over who is potentially liable after a girl. middle school girl claimed she was raped by “At no point during the ride from school to classmates during a bus ride home. home did the First Student Inc. employee/bus The seventh grader’s parents originally filed driver who was operating the bus take any the suit in civil court against both the district step to control the students or intervene in and the bus company, First Student. That suit ä See LIABILITY, page 2G claims both entities had the responsibility to
Staff writer