School board approves two-year contract for modular campuses as stadium and turf repairs continue

The school board on Jan. 18 approved a two-year contract with Vesta Modular LLC to supply and install temporary modular classrooms at Ellender and South Terrebonne campuses, with the contract beginning Jan. 19, 2022 and site installations required by June 1, 2022. Daniel Bruce, the architect who prepared the specifications, told the board the schedule is "pretty aggressive" and that the contract requires buildings to be installed on each campus by June 1. "We have a 133 contract date deadline for them to start beginning tomorrow and have modular buildings installed at each campus by 06/01/2022," Bruce said.

Why it matters: The modular units are a temporary measure while the district addresses hurricane damage and extensive repairs at several schools. The decision moves forward procurement for classroom space that officials say is urgently needed to resume instruction at impacted campuses.

Board discussion and details: The board packet recommends a two-year agreement with a one-year option to extend and month-to-month extensions following year three at the same prices and terms. The approved vendor is Vesta Housing Solutions LLC doing business as Vesta Modular LLC. Board members and staff said each campus will receive eight modular buildings, for a total of 54 classrooms at each campus, including two labs. Bruce said the modules will come from the vendor's plants in Florida, Georgia and Texas and estimated arrival on site around March 18 at Ellender and March 25 at South Terrebonne, about a one-week stagger between campuses.

District staff told the board that site work (foundations, plumbing and canopies to connect modules) is a separate design-bid-build project that will be advertised the following Monday; staff said that work should be finished before modules arrive. When asked if the modules are FEMA reimbursable, district staff responded that FEMA had given preliminary approval. "Yes. Yes, ma'am. We're we're in this and FEMA has given preliminary approval. That is correct," district staff said during the meeting.

Athletics and facilities: Board members raised concerns about gym availability, locker rooms and the athletic stadiums. Staff said the stadium complex at South Terrebonne (referred to in the meeting as "ST") may be made usable, but the gym at South Terrebonne is "pretty much devastated" and might not be restorable. On the artificial turf at ST, staff said broken glass and embedded rubber pellets must be cleaned; they estimated a $160,000 replacement if more extensive work is required. "That's $160,000 replacement," staff said when describing the proposed turf work. Staff said the turf is still under warranty and the district is coordinating with the original installer; using a different vendor might void warranty coverage and require legal protections.

Building condition and next steps: Board members asked whether damaged school buildings would be repaired or demolished; staff said experts hired for Hurricane Ida recovery will make those determinations and the district will follow their guidance. "We will bow to the experts. That's why we've hired them," a staff speaker said. The board approved the modular contract and directed staff to proceed with the site work procurement and coordination with FEMA, while noting several items remain unresolved (gym repairs, warranty sign-offs and final determinations on existing building repairs or demolition).

Costs and timing: The modular contract begins Jan. 19, 2022; site installations are to be completed by June 1, 2022. Modules are expected to begin arriving in mid-late March. The separate site-preparation bid was described as expected to be advertised the following Monday. The estimated cost to replace the turf field (if required) was stated in the meeting as about $160,000. Board members emphasized the temporary nature of the modular buildings and the district's intent to remove them once permanent repairs are completed.

What the board decided: The board voted to accept the RFP and award the modular-campus contract to Vesta Modular LLC as presented; the motion was seconded and described in the meeting as unanimous. No formal dollar amounts for the modular contract were read into the public record during the discussion in the transcript provided.