Board grants one-month extension to Arc of Acadiana lease at 5401 Shed Road; board adds language limiting further extensions

The Bossier Parish School Board approved a request to extend the Arc of Acadiana’s lease at 5401 Shed Road in Bossier City through Feb. 28, 2026, and the board requested language be added to make that the final extension.

Mister Cottom explained the Arc’s current contract runs through Jan. 30, 2026, and the organization requested one additional month because its new facility in south Bossier is still under construction. Cottom said the Arc had already used four 30-day extensions; approving this request would exceed the maximum extension contained in the current lease without board permission.

Board members asked whether allowing one more month would delay the school system’s plans to repurpose the property. Cottom said the district expects limited impact if the extension is for only one month, but noted that certain renovation work — including converting the building’s HVAC from a chiller/boiler system to a standalone system — will be required when the space is vacated. He said the building is about 30,000 square feet and that staff needs a plan from the district to proceed.

Several board members urged the district to treat the February extension as the final extension and to request a projected completion date from the Arc’s project manager. A board member moved to approve the extension with added verbiage that it would be the last extension; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Staff said they would follow up with the Arc to get a projected completion date for the new facility and send that information to the board.