Sterlington Middle School sale proceeds, project history and litigation discussed; board tables construction litigation items
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Summary
Board members discussed the sale of the old Sterlington Middle School, approved equal disbursement of the $1.2 million proceeds for east‑side board districts to reimburse bond premium money, and entered executive session on construction litigation; the board later moved to table two related construction litigation agenda items.
The Ouachita Parish School Board on Aug. 25 approved distributing the $1.2 million in proceeds from the sale of the old Sterlington Middle School and held an executive session to discuss prospective litigation tied to the new Sterlington Middle School construction. After the closed session, the board voted to table two construction‑related agenda items for further work.
Board members voted to divide the $1.2 million sale proceeds equally among the three east‑side board members, which district presenters described as replacing premium bond funds that had been advanced earlier during construction of the new Sterlington Middle School. Staff said premium bond funds had been shifted during construction to cover a budget shortfall; the sale proceeds will reimburse that premium bond allocation. The motion passed with no recorded opposition.
Rice Gregory, who identified himself as project architect for Sterlington Middle School, gave a detailed history of the new school’s procurement and construction timeline, saying the project began in programing and design in 2020, was rebid after earlier bids exceeded budget, and a contract was awarded in early 2022. Gregory told the board he has overseen contract documents and public construction projects for the district since 1983 and presented what he called a final status and accounting for the project.
The board then moved into executive session to “confer with counsel and discuss prospective litigation relative to Sterlington Middle School liquidated damages on Marion Construction,” citing state executive‑session authority. The motion to enter executive session passed on roll call with board members recorded as voting yes. The board also used the executive session time to hear a confidential student expulsion appeal; after returning to public session the board recorded action on that appeal (the board took an affirmative vote to grant the appeal). The board later made and approved a motion to table agenda items 12 and 14, both related to construction and litigation matters, so staff and counsel could continue work outside public session.
The Sterlington sale proceeds distribution and the litigation matter are linked in board discussions: district staff and some board members described the sale proceeds as a mechanism to repay premium bond funds used during construction, while the litigation discussion concerns claimed liquidated damages against the contractor for the new school project. The board did not vote on any litigation settlement or contract termination in public session and deferred related construction items to be addressed later.
The board instructed staff and legal counsel to continue evaluation and to return the tabulated construction items when additional information is available.