Despite deficit, School Board okays raises by Sunny Meriwether - posted Thursday, July 19th, 2012 @ 12:00 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  Teachers and support staff employed by Ouachita Parish Schools will get their scheduled pay raises this year, though the parish school system has been cost-cutting spree lately to deal with a projected $9 million deficit for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. During a regular meeting late last week, the School Board agreed to a finance committee recommendation to "forego" consideration of a step freeze. The recommendation reserved the right to implement a freeze on automatic pay raises if financial conditions deteriorate in subsequent budget years. Keeping the pay raises in place will cost the parish school system nearly $1 million this year. Business manager Juanita Duke told the School Board that the finance committee believed the previous steps taken to reduce expenses had brought the school system within reach of a balanced budget for the year. ..... For the full story, subscribe to the The Ouachita Citizen's NEW E-Edition!