About 2,400 had cast early ballots in Saturday’s school tax elections through Thursday. There are around 30,000 registered voters in Rapides.

Two parish-wide renewals are on the ballot. Also being decided are a proposed new 20-year levy for Pineville schools’ improvements and renewals in the Poland and Ruby-Wise districts.

Local funds pay for school maintenance and improvements. There are no state or federal dollars for such.

The parish-wide renewals would provide a total of about $11 million annually over 10 years.

One, the larger millage of the two, supports operations of schools; the other is to maintain buildings and equipment and otherwise improve facilities and premises.

The Poland and Ruby-Wise requests are also for 10 years, each providing about $45,000 a year.

Pineville’s package would generate $27 million for an extensive list of projects at Pineville High, Pineville Jr. High and Pineville, Lessie Moore and J.I. Barron Elementaries.

The proposal was drafted after a number of sit downs between board staff, educators and stakeholders over several months.

The breakout of early voting does not specify where the ballots are directed.

It does note that about 1,700 ballots had been cast by whites and about 700 by Blacks.

Registered Democrats voting numbered about 1,100, Republicans 1,000 and other registrations 300.

Women had cast 1,400 of the ballots.

What all these tea leaves foretell will be known sometime after polls close at 8 p.m. Saturday. They open at 7 a.m.