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Board to use $250,000 from 2023 bond to fix Maryville High drainage; boiler replacement also proposed
Summary
Committee members approved using $250,000 remaining from the 2023 bond to address chronic flooding at Maryville High and discussed adding a Thursday agenda item to replace failing boilers in the new gym, with quotes from staff describing classrooms flooded and the need for redirection of cemetery runoff.
Beauregard Parish facilities staff told committees Nov. 10 that Maryville High School has experienced repeated, severe flooding and recommended using $250,000 remaining from the 2023 bond to complete a drainage project.
Staff said drone imagery shows concentrated flow entering campus from the cemetery side, washing out fencing and creating washouts that have at times flooded classrooms and the auditorium. "We were in our ankle waders," an unidentified board member said when describing the last flood. Staff recommended new North-side ditching, culverts, underground drainage and regrading in the softball/baseball area to redirect tributaries and slow rapid runoff.
The committee approved the $250,000 allocation by voice vote. Facilities staff cautioned that the estimate was on the high end and actual costs could be higher depending on sinkholes and subsurface conditions encountered during work.
Separately, members discussed prolonged HVAC problems at Maryville’s new gym: portable air-conditioning units have been in place since last December and cost roughly $3,200 per month to operate. Staff reported one boiler was refitted and working, while a second is unlikely to be restored; insurance adjusters initially denied full replacement coverage, citing lightning as a factor. Staff suggested adding replacement of one or both boilers to the Thursday agenda; quoted estimates ranged from $60,000–$80,000 for one boiler and about $120,000 for two new boilers.
What’s next: If the board confirms the $250,000 allocation, staff will meet with civil engineers (site visit planned Dec. 1) to finalize scope and bidding. Staff also plans to place a boiler-replacement item on the next agenda for board consideration.
