Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Rebuild topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Terrebonne board committee advances two competing Ellender High rebuild plans to full board after debate
Summary
Architects presented two rebuild options for Ellender Memorial High School—an original plan with a cafetorium and a reconfigured alternate that preserves the theater—prompting debate over classroom counts, square footage and FEMA review timelines; the committee voted to send both proposals to the full board for June 2.
The Buildings, Food Service & Transportation committee voted May 19 to advance two competing design proposals for Ellender Memorial High School to the full board after an extended presentation and debate.
An architect presenting an "alternate" reconfiguration said the plan repurposes existing theater and mall spaces to fit program needs while keeping the school footprint inside FEMA flood lines. That layout would yield 48 classrooms averaging 627 square feet each; the previously presented plan (the committee labeled it Proposal 1) would have 53 classrooms averaging 725 square feet and replaces the theater with a combined cafeteria-auditorium, or "cafetorium."
Committee members pressed presenters on trade-offs: the alternate plan reduces classroom count but increases some circulation efficiency and adds instructional and administrative square footage in other areas. The architect said the alternate keeps program functions compact and argued for improved security and day-to-day utilization.
Public comment and board responses split. John Navy, a retiree of another district, told the committee constituents "just want the school built" and urged the cafetorium model as more practical and less likely to leave underutilized auditorium space. Other board members emphasized the need for written comparisons showing square footage and program differences so constituents can compare the options.
Staff warned that switching plans at this stage could delay approval by FEMA. A staff member said the cafetorium proposal has been in FEMA review, while adopting the new plan would require additional detailed drawings (MEP, structural and accurate square-footage calculations), a fresh FEMA submission and additional review time — possibly months to a year before the project is back to its current level of review.
After discussion a motion to bring both Proposal 1 (original cafetorium plan) and Proposal 2 (alternate reconfiguration) to the full board for consideration at the June 2 board meeting was moved and seconded and ordered forwarded.
Next steps: staff will provide a bulleted comparison of the two proposals (square footage, classroom counts and program layouts) for committee members and the public; both options will be on the full-board agenda for further deliberation and a decision.
