Ouachita Parish school board approves Linwood cafeteria and Sterlington softball field change orders

The Ouachita Parish School Board on May 16 approved two construction-related change orders, one that will delay completion of Linwood Elementary’s cafeteria repairs and another to add a canopy behind the Sterlington girls softball field.

A board member said the Linwood change order totals $94,282.21 and will add about 58 days to the project schedule after crews discovered water-related issues and the contractor proposed additional remediation, including blasting and sealing the concrete and installing plumbing hangers. The motion to accept the change order carried with no opposition.

Mister Geiss, a district staff member, told the board that central office cafeterias will continue preparing meals "even if we have to do it into the start of next year," describing the operational contingency while Linwood’s work continues.

On a separate item, the board approved a $149,165 change order to move a set of bleachers and build a canopy behind the girls softball field at Sterlington. A board member said the canopy will be funded from funds in the East Side bond associated with Mister Manley’s allocation. That motion also passed with no opposition.

Both change orders were presented during the facilities portion of the meeting; board members asked timing questions and were told the Linwood work is delayed but staff expects to complete projects before school begins where possible. No vote tallies or dissenting votes were recorded in the transcript.

The board did not specify new completion dates beyond the Linwood estimate of an added 58 days; staff said they will continue to monitor scheduling and communicate updates to the board.