Nathan Rust
Republican · LA · East Baton Rouge Parish School Board District 6 Member
Nathan Rust serves on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board for District 6. He was elected in 2022, previously served as an appointed BREC commissioner, and owns Prestigious Painting.
Where Nathan Rust stands, based on their records
Supports
Government Efficiency (3 records), Public Safety and Crime Control (3 records), Public Education Quality (3 records),
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (2 support · 2 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Government Efficiency
Government Efficiency · 3 support
Pushed a proposal to post all school district contracts online and name major subcontractors, so taxpayers can see how money is spent.
March 7, 2024Supports Government Efficiency
Source: theadvocate.com
Co-wrote a board resolution with member Carla Powell-Lewis that required a yearly survey of parents about the magnet school application process.
October 24, 2023Supports Government Efficiency
Source: theadvocate.com
Asked the board, with member Patrick Martin V, to hire an outside expert for $95,000 to review how the board handles money and builds its budget.
October 1, 2023Supports Government Efficiency
Source: theadvocate.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 2 support · 2 oppose
Backed a large pay raise for school employees paid partly from district savings. He said the district cannot keep saving money it should invest in children.
June 15, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: theadvocate.com
Supported a $40 million bond sale to upgrade high schools after raising cost worries. The board gave the sale early approval.
October 2, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: theadvocate.com
Opposed a $960,000 raise to the school cleaning company's contract, saying the company underbid the job. The board put off the vote.
August 15, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: theadvocate.com
Cast the only no vote on keeping school property tax rates at current levels, which kept about $13 million in added revenue. It passed 6-1.
August 15, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: theadvocate.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 3 support
Supported buying door barricade systems that protect classrooms from active shooters, while asking how the district would measure if they work.
February 5, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: theadvocate.com
Sent a letter to the Woodlawn High community after a gun was found on campus. He called guns at school unacceptable and listed new weapon detectors.
February 7, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: louisianafirstnews.com
Voted against delaying the purchase of panic-button badges that let school staff call for help in emergencies. The board voted 6-3 to delay.
April 6, 2023Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: theadvocate.com
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 3 support
Backed a large pay raise for school employees paid partly from district savings. He said the district cannot keep saving money it should invest in children.
June 15, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: theadvocate.com
Supported a $40 million bond sale to upgrade high schools after raising cost worries. The board gave the sale early approval.
October 2, 2025Supports Public Education Quality
Source: theadvocate.com
Praised yearly test score and school grade goals in the new superintendent's contract, targets he had long pushed for.
August 1, 2024Supports Public Education Quality
Source: theadvocate.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 1 support
Supported a $40 million bond sale to upgrade high schools after raising cost worries. The board gave the sale early approval.
October 2, 2025Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: theadvocate.com
Track record — General
General · 17 records
Said it was too early to decide Superintendent LaMont Cole's future after his indictment on corruption charges.
August 5, 2026
Source: theadvocate.com
Made a motion to add updated charter school rules to the board's agenda. The motion failed 4-4.
September 18, 2025
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted to renew contracts with the nonprofits Kids' Orchestra and Baton Rouge Youth Coalition. Both failed 4-0 because they needed five yes votes.
July 17, 2025
Source: theadvocate.com
Abstained on a board resolution opposing state bills to create a St. George school district. He said the whole board did not help write it. It passed 5-1.
May 19, 2025
Source: theadvocate.com
Questioned a new internet rule that limited students to approved search engines. The board dropped that limit and passed the policy unanimously.
November 21, 2024
Source: theadvocate.com
Was dropped from a parents' and students' lawsuit over the district's 2022 "Day of Hope" event. A judge removed board members who took office in 2023.
October 16, 2024
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted to hire LaMont Cole as superintendent. The vote was unanimous; Rust said he had planned to abstain but chose to support Cole.
July 24, 2024
Source: theadvocate.com
Joined three other board members in a public letter explaining why they opposed making interim leader Adam Smith the permanent superintendent.
July 17, 2024
Source: theadvocate.com
Named Paige Lowry, a local Moms for Liberty leader, to a parent panel that questioned superintendent finalists. The NAACP then asked that he be removed from the parks commission (BREC).
July 17, 2024
Source: wbrz.com
Voted for Kevin George, director of the LSU Lab School, for superintendent. George fell one vote short, so no one was hired that night.
July 11, 2024
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted against a board resolution opposing House Bill 6, a state bill that could revive a southeast Baton Rouge school district. It passed 5-2.
April 25, 2024
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted not to renew Superintendent Sito Narcisse's contract. The vote was 5-4. Rust said district staff did not feel supported.
December 7, 2023
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted against adding 7 minutes to the school day at middle and high schools to make up lost time from bus problems. The plan passed 6-2.
September 7, 2023
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted to reject the superintendent's plan to shift school start times during the bus driver crisis. The board chose other fixes instead, 5-4.
August 24, 2023
Source: theadvocate.com
Voted no on the superintendent's plan to close a middle school campus for students with discipline problems near Baker. The plan failed 2-5.
July 20, 2023
Source: theadvocate.com
Won the District 6 school board seat, beating 21-year incumbent Jill Dyason with 57% of the vote to her 43%.
November 8, 2022
Source: theadvocate.com
Received endorsements from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber's political arm and the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students in his 2022 school board race.
September 25, 2022
Source: theadvocate.com
Past race Nathan Rust ran in:
- East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Member District 6 · November 3, 2026 · East Baton Rouge Parish School Board District 6 · incumbent