Board approves building, refrigeration and fencing contracts; child nutrition to advertise several bids

The Terrebonne Parish School Board on Sept. 2 approved several construction and equipment contracts, set project budgets and authorized advertising for child‑nutrition bids. The board accepted the lowest responsive bid for the West Park annex reroofing project from Edward J. Laperouse Metal Works and established a total project budget of $215,200 to be paid from the Building Fund. The contract bid amount cited in the agenda was $192,590. For Oak Lawn Middle School the board approved the award to Bolt Inc. for a freezer/cooler replacement and established a total project budget of $458,885; funds for that project will be drawn from the Building Fund and the Child Nutrition Program Fund. Mechanical engineer Robert Utley told the board the work goes beyond a straight equipment swap: the project includes demolition, floor work, new openings into adjacent space that formerly housed a boiler room, and reconfiguration to allow deliveries to the new cooler and freezer. Utley said the scope added to the cost beyond a simple unit replacement. Board members questioned the project price. Board member Matthew Ford said he was “not sold on it yet” and compared the cost to other construction benchmarks; other members noted the construction is significant and the location and connections to existing spaces make retrofit work more complex. District staff told the board the Building Fund balance before these projects was roughly $3,000,000 and that the fund will remain with approximately $2.1 million after the three large projects presented at the meeting. The board also approved the lowest bid meeting specifications for the Oak Lawn project and authorized the board president to sign project documents. The board approved the hiring of Edward J. Laperouse Metal Works for the West Park project and authorized award documents for the Oak Lawn and other projects. For South Terrebonne High School the board authorized a notice to proceed to the district’s architect to advance a security-fencing project, established a $200,000 budget from the Building Fund and authorized advertising for bids. Board members discussed fence materials and noted the cost reflects linear footage, gates and different materials planned for the front entrance versus perimeter fencing. The child-nutrition department was authorized to advertise a six‑month bid for meat, frozen, canned and dry goods for Jan. 1–June 30, 2026, funded by the Child Nutrition Fund, and to advertise for local-beef bids for the same period. Staff clarified that “local beef” for the bid means product produced and slaughtered in the state of Louisiana and sold fresh (not prepared or cooked). The board also authorized advertising for moving services for South Terrebonne and approved a one‑year bid award for career and technical high welding equipment and supplies to Gas and Supply for Sept. 3, 2025–Sept. 2, 2026, with an option to extend by mutual agreement. Motions to accept the various bids and budgets were recorded as passed; the transcript shows no roll‑call vote tallies for these items and no public opposition was recorded at the meeting.