Beauregard Parish board prioritizes South Boulevard campus in preliminary bond planning
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Summary
School board members discussed devoting a large share of a proposed $30 million bond to address enrollment growth at South Boulevard, including new classrooms, parking and reclamation of an on-site oxidation pond; no final allocations were made and staff will return with cost estimates and a site plan.
Beauregard Parish School Board members spent the meeting focused on how a proposed capital bond might be spent, with much of the discussion centered on South Boulevard campus needs and how much of a $30 million bond the parish should dedicate to that area.
Board staff and outside consultants presented options that ranged from targeted repairs and classroom additions to building a new two‑story classroom building and reclaiming an on‑site oxidation pond for parking. Larry Holly, a district staff member who opened the bond-item discussion, told the board the capital improvements list must be finalized in April and the bond would be voted on in May 2025.
The architects, Brad Evans and Bridget Evans, and Ian Booth of Booth Environmental joined staff to describe conceptual schemes and costs. "A new high school is somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 to $55 million," one of the architects said, noting that a standalone high school with competition and practice gyms, locker rooms, parking and site work typically costs substantially more than the $27 million figure shown on one skeleton plan. Holly emphasized that a $30 million bond would not fully fund a brand‑new stand‑alone high school but that portions of the campus could be improved or replaced within smaller budgets.
Board members discussed a range of technical and programmatic issues: the junior high building labeled I and J contains roughly 30 classrooms and is in poor condition, but demolishing that space before replacement would require temporary classrooms; filling and repurposing the oxidation pond could reclaim roughly 3.5 acres, and a consultant quoted pond reclamation work "south of a million dollars" with a 60‑day turnaround if weather cooperates. Architects recommended phasing construction so parking and staging are available before removing occupied classroom space.
Direct allocation scenarios were discussed but not decided. One staff option would allocate roughly $15–18 million toward South Boulevard (described in meeting materials as increasing to about $17.3 million under an alternate split), leaving smaller, parish‑wide modernization amounts for other campuses. Board members also proposed parishwide baseline allotments (examples discussed included roughly $2.25 million for some junior highs and $625,000 for technology) so each campus would receive some improvements even if South Boulevard receives the largest share.
Board members repeatedly emphasized that no formal commitment to a final plan was made at the meeting. Holly and the architects agreed to provide more concrete ballpark cost estimates within about a week and to prepare simple concept drawings showing the building, parking and pond reclamation options. The board scheduled a site visit: staff said Holly will be at South Boulevard High School Friday at 11 a.m. for members who can attend.
Board discussion also covered land acquisition as a component of long‑range planning. Several members urged purchasing adjacent interior acreage while it remains available so future expansion or a stand‑alone high school could be sited adjacent to existing athletic facilities. Board members noted that buying land now could lower future hauling costs for site fill if the district later used the adjacent timbered acreage to fill the oxidation pond or expand the campus.
The meeting closed without a formal vote on bond allocations; the board directed staff to compile a parishwide list of priority projects and to return draft allocations and cost estimates at the April committee meeting so the board can finalize the capital improvements list before the May vote. A motion to adjourn was made at the end of the session.
