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Facilities, technology and ROTC staffing take central stage as DeSoto Parish readies summer projects
Summary
Committee members were briefed on a contracted chiller inspection program, hiring of Beau Odom as supervisor of operations, technology upgrades and a shortage of ROTC instructors that threatens some programs; tank remediation and turf installations were also discussed.
Operations and facilities updates dominated parts of the May 22 meeting, with staff reporting completed work orders, vendor plans for chiller rebuilds, technology refreshes and active site projects.
Operations staff (speaker 6) said the district began the period with 42 open work orders and completed 233, leaving 61 open at the time of the meeting, and described HVAC issues that prompted a three‑week contracted chiller inspection and rebuild schedule intended to avoid last summer’s failures. The board announced the hiring of Beau Odom as supervisor of operations; staff said he is "ready to hit the ground running."
Technology work includes replacing smart boards and printers across the parish and shifting teachers from Chromebooks to laptops to support instructional platforms. Staff noted GoGuardian and Gaggle Suite remain active monitoring tools that flag concerning keywords and generate alerts for district safety staff to review.
On program staffing, a staff member (speaker 3) reported two instructor vacancies in ROTC and said the North DeSoto program closed when applicants could not be found. The district is exploring options, including moving to a district‑wide Air Force ROTC model if Army instructors remain unavailable.
On environmental and construction matters, staff said Jones Environmental performed tank remediation and soil testing; initial results did not show soil contamination and work will continue. Projects at Logan’s Court and school wings will begin when students are off campus, and turf installation for baseball/softball fields is scheduled in June (weather permitting) with additional practice‑facility turf planned for September.
Why it matters: The operations and technology work affect building safety, summer readiness and instructional capacity; the ROTC staffing shortage could lead to program closures affecting students.
What’s next: Staff will continue contracted chiller work, complete technology replacements and update the board on ROTC recruitment and construction schedules.
