Property committee outlines multi‑million dollar capital projects, favors $1M annual grant model

The Orleans Parish School Board Property Committee on Nov. 18 received a facilities and capital‑projects briefing from Chief Operations Officer Donald Duff, who reviewed active work — from roof replacements to chiller repairs — and said staff will pursue an annual $1,000,000 capital‑improvement grant model supported by a recent survey of facilities operators.

Duff, who delivered photo highlights from October, told the committee about a new roof at the Eisenhower facility on the West Bank, nearly completed storefront windows at William J. Gust, and a chiller-and-generator installation at the Green campus. "We are maintaining and trying to, provide wonderful spaces for our students and our staff," Duff said.

Duff reported specific project statuses and totals: FY2023 projects totaled $38,330,222 with three projects still under construction; FY2024 projects total $11,974,466; FY2025 projects total $9,506,721.84. Other capital projects subtotals were listed as $11,666,566.88 (page 1) and $4,084,010.09 (page 2), for a combined $15,750,576.97. At Mary McLeod Bethune (Engine Tilly), both chillers are down and a temporary chiller and a compressor are in use while the district awaits new chillers with an estimated lead time of 30 to 35 weeks.

Staff noted the Jean Gordon site demolition is in construction after a roughly $200,000 budget reduction; Duff said staff is aiming to complete demolition in about 30 days to support a planned sale in December. Additional smaller projects include a completed water‑softener replacement at Lake Forest and rooftop‑unit replacements at Parkview.

On grant strategy, Duff summarized two options presented in the facilities survey. Option 1 would make a $1,000,000 annual grant available for selected projects (awards roughly $10,000–$50,000) that demonstrably improve pedagogy, plus periodic districtwide capital projects. Option 2 would deliver only periodic districtwide projects. "As you can see, overwhelmingly, the survey results show that Option 1 was the winner," Duff said; he recommended pursuing the $1,000,000 annual model alongside a larger districtwide project every few years.

Duff also highlighted the ribbon cutting at Benjamin Franklin High School for the Katherine Johnson STEAM Center, a repurposed underused space now containing four classrooms, lab spaces, makerspace and common areas funded by NOLA Public Schools, the Kiwanis Club, the Edward Shidler Education Foundation and other donors. A committee member noted Katherine Johnson's granddaughter attended and shared stories of Johnson's NASA work, calling the event inspiring and urging similar investments districtwide.

The committee did not take a policy vote on the grant structure during the meeting; discussion items were presented for committee review and are expected to be discussed further as staff develops implementation plans.