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Board explores sale or transfer of surplus properties including historic training school and Head Start site; resolution planned
Summary
The Long‑Range Planning Committee on Jan. 6, 2025 directed staff to further explore options for several district properties — including a historic training school and Head Start site — and to return with a draft resolution for board consideration in February.
BEAUREGARD PARISH, La. — The Beauregard Parish School Board’s Long‑Range Planning Committee on Jan. 6, 2025 discussed multiple property matters and asked staff to explore sale or transfer options and to return in February with a resolution and additional details.
Topics discussed included a highly solicited First Street property adjacent to the district offices, a 10‑acre North Street parcel for which an original seller retains a right of first refusal at the prior per‑acre price, and Maryville Junction (roughly 40 acres) where staff said a timber harvest is under consideration. The committee also discussed interest from a local nonprofit in acquiring the old Head Start building on Martin Luther King Drive and the attached historic training school.
On First Street, staff said they had received multiple inquiries and advised board members they had not responded to outside offers while the board considered long‑term plans for a new school board facility. The committee discussed two district‑owned sites that could host a new board office and meeting space: acreage near DeRidder Junior High and a parcel closer to town. Staff said proceeds from any sale of the current board facility would be available to help fund a new board campus but not likely to cover the full cost.
Regarding the North Street 10‑acre parcel, staff advised the committee that an original donor retained a right of first refusal at a previously agreed price of $500 per acre; as a result, staff recommended holding the land rather than selling it now. Maryville Junction (40 acres) attracted limited commercial interest; staff said timber harvest remains the near‑term practical option to produce revenue and that staff will contact contractors for assessments.
On the historic training school and the adjacent Head Start building, a nonprofit has expressed interest in acquiring the property to operate an east‑side community center. Committee members agreed that any disposition of the training school will require a formal resolution, clear contract terms to protect the building’s historic status, and legal review because the parcel’s prior conveyance contains restrictive language that may revert the property under certain conditions. Staff noted the building is a registered Louisiana Historic Landmark, and any future owner would be responsible for upkeep and compliance with grant and historic‑preservation conditions.
Board members asked staff to draft a resolution for consideration in February that would: confirm the district’s intent to declare the Head Start/training school property surplus (if appropriate), solicit information from prospective purchasers about preservation and use, and identify legal encumbrances that must be cleared before sale. Staff said they will check deed language on First Street and other parcels and will return with recommended next steps.
No final sales or conveyances were approved at the Jan. 6 meeting; the committee’s direction was to gather additional legal and financial detail and return in February with a formal resolution.
