Senate committee approves CMAR/Seymour delivery for three Ascension Parish school renovation projects

The Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works on Feb. 5, 2025, approved use of the construction-management-at-risk (CMAR) or Seymour delivery method for three renovation and addition projects in Ascension Parish: Dutchtown High School, Gonzales Middle School and the LeBlanc Special Services Center.

The approvals came by voice consent after brief presentations from project representatives and questions from committee members. Louis Saab, representing engineering firm CSRS, outlined the scope of the Dutchtown project as a campus renovation that would add workforce-development space including welding labs and agricultural facilities, classroom and office space, and a new field house with locker rooms and training facilities. Saab said the work would use the CMAR delivery method to help adhere to project schedules and limit construction impacts at the active campus.

The committee heard that Dutchtown was redistricted last year; Saab said enrollment fell from about 2,700 to “close to 2,000” but he prefaced that number as approximate. Gonzales Middle School’s renovation was described as a $10,400,000 project to add a new cafeteria/multipurpose space and convert the existing cafeteria into classrooms to address capacity needs; presenters said current enrollment is roughly 650–700 and projected to approach 900 in coming years. The LeBlanc Special Services Center project was presented as a $5,000,000 interior remodel at an older building on the Gonzales campus to add air conditioning and make the facility more functional for special-education services; Senator Price noted the building dates to a Works Progress Administration-era construction in 1939.

Senator Abraham questioned why Ascension Parish selected the Seymour delivery method rather than a traditional competitive bid, asking whether the county had previous experience with Seymour and whether open bidding could yield lower prices. Louis Saab and Jamie McKnight of the Ascension Parish School Board said the parish had used CMAR for prior 2020 bond projects and found the approach helped manage schedule risks amid material cost increases and delivery delays; they said different contractors were selected through qualifications for previous projects and that contingency planning would be used to manage the LeBlanc project near the $5,000,000 threshold.

Each of the three requests was approved by unanimous voice consent after motions from committee members. Senator Cade Price made the motions to approve the delivery method for each project; Senator Abraham seconded the Gonzales motion on the record. Committee members raised no objections when asked, and the chair declared each request approved. The meeting was adjourned on a motion by Senator McMath.