ASCENSION PARISH - A $15.08 million property tax renewal will likely appear on a special election ballot for Ascension Parish voters in April.

The money raised through it will go toward financing new schools.

The new Prairieville High School and East Ascension High School renovations were paid for by this tax.

"All of that is because our tax payers are allowing us to make those improvements within our schools and it goes directly back to our students," said superintendent Dr. Edith Walker.

But the parish is expanding so rapidly, it needs even more facilities.

According to the school system, the district has had to accommodate 350-400 new students every year for the last 10 years.

"When you think about our schools we roughly average in our primary schools around 720 to 750 students in each of those schools, so when you add 350 every year you're roughly looking at a new school every two to three years."

Walker says right now, the priority is to expand and build new primary schools.

"We want to make sure that each of our students have a comfortable learning environment. In order to make sure that happens 750 to 800 is where we want to be in a primary school. For example we have one, after we have redistricted, that will have almost 1200 students in it."

The newly constructed Prairieville High School is set to open this fall.