Keeping schools in good shape: Panel looks at maintenance, capital needs in District 3

CENTERVILLE — St. Mary District 3 principals pleaded their case Monday to the school board’s maintenance committee for new projects during a budget workshop at the Central Office Complex.

Initial project requests for maintenance and capital expenditures were pre-selected based on priority by Maintenance Supervisor Brad Wiese. The committee-approved requests are for fiscal year 2016-17.

The schools located in District 3 are: J.S. Aucoin Elementary, J.B. Maitland Elementary, Morgan City Junior High, Morgan City High, M.E. Norman Elementary, M.D. Shannon Elementary and Wyandotte Elementary.

The committee OK’d $181,000 in maintenance spending for Norman Elementary, the highest amount for any District 3 school. Plans are to provide a facelift, paint, pressure wash, remove trees and create a parking lot for $100,000. And it was all lumped together.

Tiles have to be replaced in four classrooms because of asbestos for $24,000. Five classroom air handlers have to be replaced for $30,000.

Lifting and stabilizing the school’s foundation in eight identified areas is estimated around $20,000 to complete.

Other costs total $7,000, which includes security camera upgrades, painting classrooms, and installation of white, bulletin and promethean boards.

C.E . Bourg, Morgan City attorney, questioned the cement parking lot as a maintenance item. He asked Alton Perry, chief financial officer, why the parking lot item wasn’t considered a capital item.

Perry informed him that the money could be spent in whatever way and expense category the board chooses.

The original estimated maintenance costs for Morgan City Junior High approved was $92,500. But after the committee approved converting a classroom into a computer lab, the total increased to $144,500.

The school would have to purchase computers totaling $40,000 and wiring for $12,000. The lab conversion should help by accommodating more students to take mandated state tests online.

But it also provides more integrated technology use with instruction.

Wyandotte’s costs are estimated at $105,400. The largest item, $65,000, will go to change 10 air conditioning unit handlers in the third wing. This is an area where roofing was previously replaced.

Leaks in two classrooms have damaged classroom material. Replacing those units will cost $13,000.

Elementary schools with lower maintenance costs are Aucoin at $45,800 and Maitland at $22,500. The capital costs for Aucoin are at $14,000, and $30,000 for Maitland.

Morgan City High Principal Mickey Fabre got creative with this request for next school year.

Last year, $50,000 was allocated to renovate the old library from the capital project fund. Because the renovation did not take place, he asked that the money be used to convert the library into a computer lab. It was approved.

Approximately $70,900 will be used for Morgan City High’s estimated maintenance cost. The amount includes $8,000 to expand the girls softball locker room. It was added because Bourg raised the issue of equality based on Title IX, a federal rule encouraging equity in the treatment of boys and girls sports.

The school’s capital expenditures is set for around $175,000, of which $150,000 is being used to replace the first floor heating and air conditioning system.

Overall, district general maintenance costs approved were in the amount of $58,045. It covers electrical, HVAC, computer cabling and electrical supply for computer labs, promethean board maintenance and a new mower.

Central Office Complex requests totaled $2,610 for maintenance and $29,000 for capital. Each district covers 29 percent of total cost.

The requests to paint St. Mary Alternative and upgrade its security cameras will cost District 3 $1,450, which is 29 percent of total costs.

After all expenditures were approved, Jean-Paul Bourg, a concerned Morgan City citizen, asked the district committee to conduct another inspection of M.D. Shannon. It would cost the school board $20,000, Wiese said.

As committee members Roland Verret, Anthony Streva and Bill McCarty considered the question, Marilyn LaSalle suggested that the inspection be presented to the entire school board because the inspection was not included as a budget item on the agenda.

All committee members were in agreement.

The District 2 committee will meet at 5 p.m. today at the Central Office Complex. Schools in this district are located in Berwick, Bayou Vista and Patterson.