VIDALIA, La. — The Concordia Parish School Board agreed Friday to ask voters to approve a 13-mill, five-year tax increase to build new classrooms and give teachers and support workers salary supplements.

And voters will be asked to renew a 25-mill, 10-year tax in place since 1991, which generated more than $1.5 million in 1999 for school operations. Both measures will be on the ballot Oct. 7 and would need a majority of votes to pass.

The increase of 13 mills — a mill equals one-tenth of every cent of a property’s assessed value – would cost the owner of $100,000 house an extra $32.50 in property taxes a year. It would generate about $510,000 a year, said Tom O’Neal, director of business affairs.

Some would be used to boost teachers’ and support workers’ salaries, which could start as soon as January if the tax is passed, O’Neal said. The district will wait until new revenues start coming in to figure supplements. But raises would be based on education and seniority and each worker would get a raise, said Superintendent Lester &uot;Pete&uot; Peterman.

&uot;I would hope that people would vote for the (13-mill tax), but I&160;don’t know that it will happen. … People are already taxed to death,&uot; said kindergarten teacher and Monterey resident Sally Lanehart. &uot;Still, teachers have been left out in the cold for a long time.&uot;

Part of the money raised by the tax increase would be used to build new buildings at Monterey High School, Ferriday Lower Elementary and Vidalia Upper Elementary to replace portable buildings. Building could start as soon as spring, O’Neal said.

&uot;We’ve got some ambitious goals,&uot;&160;said board President Mike Grantham. &uot;We’re tired of treading water. We need to do this, … and we need to ask for the people’s support.&uot;

Building improvements &uot;are going to be something people can see and something we need,&uot; said board member Ernest Lynn White.

Pay raises and replacing portables are among the top priorities of the board’s Personnel and Building and Grounds committees. And improving facilities and boosting teacher and employee morale were among Peterman’s recommendations to the board last November.

But during the 1999-2000 school year, the district took several financial hits, further reducing the cash-strapped system’s ability to fund such needs.

The district lost $717,000 a year in taxes from bankrupt Fruit of the Loom. It also lost 26 students from the year before, so it lost $558,000 in state funds for the year.