Buildings committee approves service renewals, demolition notice and repair change orders; gets updates on school rebuilds

Members of the Terrebonne Parish School Board’s Buildings, Food Service and Transportation Committee approved several procurement renewals and construction actions and heard status reports on ongoing recovery and construction projects.

The committee voted to renew third‑party air quality monitoring services with Intertek PSI and to renew environmental consulting services with Ritter Consulting Engineers for one‑year terms. It also authorized a notice to proceed for Orchestrate LLC to produce plans and specifications for demolition of the former Acacia Middle School, with a project budget established at $305,377 to be paid from FEMA reimbursement funds ($274,839.30) and disaster funds ($30,537.70).

In separate action items for South Terrebonne High School, the committee accepted change order No. 10 for $82,215 to replace stage tracks and curtains (funds: FEMA $73,993.50; general operating fund $8,221.50) and change order No. 11 for $95,770 to replace 47 toilet bowls and renovate restrooms 164 and 165 for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance (funds: general operating fund). Board members confirmed the 47 toilets cover the main building’s fixtures; staff said the engineer recommended replacing bowls and flush valves after cleaning and manufacturer testing failed to remove calcification.

During discussion of the Acacia demolition, committee members urged facilities staff to salvage memorabilia, murals or other artifacts before demolition so the community can retain historically or sentimentally important items. Facilities staff said some items (for example, a night flag) already had been preserved for transfer to another school.

Committee members received a series of informational updates: the new softball fields at South Terrebonne High School and Illinois Memorial High School (Allender) were declared substantially complete as of Sept. 20, 2025, and are in a one‑year warranty period; building repair substantial completions were reported for Lewis Miller/Terrebonne Career and Technical High School and the Fletcher Building (future home of Lewis Miller). South Terrebonne High School's overall renovation remains on a schedule aiming for turnover around Dec. 1, with finish work under way (flooring, kitchen equipment final connections, auditorium and gym work). Members discussed gym flooring options and noted a softer athletic resilient surface costs more (estimates cited ranged from roughly $150,000 to $200,000 for a full high‑school court), but no scope change was adopted at the meeting.

On larger replacement projects tied to FEMA reviews, staff reported continued coordination with FEMA reviewers and work to “reverse engineer” older buildings to meet current codes, floodplain constraints and ADA rules. Ellender (demo and new‑build planning) remains in early FEMA review; staff said a design and approval process similar to prior school projects could take several months. Upper Little Caillou was scheduled to be advertised for bid with bids opening Nov. 20 and a recommendation to the full board on Dec. 2. Grand Cayenne Elementary was expected to be advertised for bid Dec. 17, with an estimated construction cost in the $26–$28 million range. Tabon High School project documents were reported near completion and advertisement was planned for early November.

All motions that required committee approval were made, seconded and approved by voice vote; no recorded roll‑call tallies were taken during the meeting and no objections were heard on the listed items.

The meeting concluded after additional routine construction updates and local facilities reports.