The Saint Tammany Parish School Board committee approved two administrative recommendations for substantial completion and heard a construction report on Aug. 7, 2025, that described ongoing projects, completed small jobs and a series of change orders.

Approval votes: The board approved the recommendation for substantial completion of the Folsom Elementary walk-in cooler/freezer project (Project No. 314P0314) on a motion by Miss Gallagher, seconded by Miss Fontenroy; the approval was unanimous. The board also approved acceptance of substantive completion for St. Tammany Junior High gymnasium locker-room termite repairs (Project No. P0514) on a unanimous vote.

Construction report and change orders: Construction staff reported that multiple renovation and maintenance projects are in progress, including HVAC replacements, canopy installations and masonry work at various campuses. Field crews completed site surveys over the summer to supply up-to-date base plans to design teams.

Board members raised questions about change orders. Miss Gallagher asked why several change orders for Mandeville Junior Highgymnasium locker-room renovations listed increased costs and days without detail. Construction staff explained the signed change-order backups (included in the board packet) list the itemized reasons: some change orders addressed unforeseen existing conditions discovered after demolition, such as incomplete wall finishes behind a removed stage proscenium; others reflected scope adjustments requested by schools (for example, extending HVAC to a coach's office that had been used as a weight room).

"All of these change order items...are reviewed by the architects and the engineers before they're recommended to our office," a construction representative said, describing the review and approval steps for each item. Staff also noted that some change orders are the result of functional changes requested by the campus and that the costs are documented and routed through the established change-order review process.

Why it matters: change orders can increase both project cost and schedule; board members asked staff to ensure change-order documentation is clear in the packet and to consider funding sources (for example, whether school-requested scope changes should be paid from school funds rather than general construction contingency).

Ending: Staff said they will continue to provide detailed change-order backups in the board materials and will bring individual construction contract awards back to the board for formal approval where required.