Schools' project requests wrapped up

The St. Mary Parish School Board conducted its last district maintenance committee budget meeting Wednesday to consider principals’ special project requests for fiscal year 2016-17. District 1 was the final committee to meet.

The schools in District 1 are B.E. Boudreaux Middle, W.P. Foster Elementary, Franklin High, LaGrange Elementary, St. Mary Parish Alternative Program, Centerville High, Franklin Junior High, J.A. Hernandez Elementary, Raintree Elementary, and West St. Mary High.

The following school maintenance amounts were approved:

—Centerville, $178,500. The highest expense is $60,000 to replace the intercom and phone system and for wiring. It will cost $32,000 to replace four air handlers, and $30,000 is for football field bleachers.

Committee members agreed to add $18,000 to repair the gym floor and $10,000 to replace laptops that no longer work.

—Franklin High, $134,100. A canopy will cover an area from the boys gym to the guard shack in the amount of $35,000. This also includes lighting for the area. The breaker will be replaced at $20,000.

Repairs to the concrete parking lot will cost $15,000.

At the urging of committee member Pearl Rack, a scoreboard will be added to the boys gym at $8,500. She also advocated for the replacement of two heating, ventilation and air conditioning units in the girls gym at $30,000.

—West St. Mary High, $68,500. Initially, the largest expense was two $10,000 line items to purchase cafeteria tables. As the meeting continued, principal Derrick White asked for $16,500 to purchase 25 desktop computers. It was approved.

The school might receive a promethean board as surplus depending on the number available after the closing of Hernandez.

The committee also approved $15,000 for the digital school marque. It was important to complete the work started from last year. If funding becomes an issue later, the marque is to be considered not a priority for fiscal year 2016-17.

—B.E. Boudreaux Middle, $45,300. The school’s largest expense was also two line items of $10,000 to purchase cafeteria tables. Running electricity to the pavilion will cost $9,300, while factory service for both chillers will cost $6,000.

For both B.E. Boudreaux Middle and West St. Mary High, the pressure washing amount was increased to $5,000. Committee member Mary Lockley discussed the building’s deplorable appearance and questioned Maintenance Supervisor Brad Wiese about the pressure washing service provider.

—Franklin Junior High, $45,000. The roofing and some rotten wood over a bus canopy will be replaced for $13,000. Two line items of $7,500 will be used to replace urinals in a boys restroom and locker room.

Another $7,500 was approved to wire a room for computers donated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

—Raintree Elementary, $33,200. Dirt will be added to the playground in low areas at a cost of $10,000. A handicap ramp at a bus stop will cost $6,200.

Committee members added rearranging outdoor lighting around the building for $5,000; securing the principal’s office with controls and camera at $4,500; and painting the parking lot at $2,500.

—Foster Elementary, $28,300. Fencing will be continued around the school at an estimated cost of $10,000. The removal of asbestos in wing A’s floor tile will cost $9,000. A sink will be added to the nurse’s room for $4,300.

—LaGrange Elementary, $12,500. Urinals will be replaced for $7,500 in the boys locker room. Painting around the campus and camera system upgrades will each cost $2,500.

At the recommendation of committee member Kenny Alfred, benches for the new pavilion will be added as items on a maintenance work order. The cost is not added as a maintenance budget item expense.

Capital request amounts approved for a school was:

—Franklin High, $100,000. It will be used to replace two boilers.

Overall, the general maintenance expense for District 1 is $68,465. An additional $10,000 was added for computer cabling and electrical supply for computer labs.

Committee chairman Wayne Deslatte recommended that a technology line item be added for the district. As technology becomes outdated and needs to be replaced, funds need to be readily available to cover costs to update and purchase new equipment, he said.

Central Office Complex maintenance costs for the district are $2,970. The capital request totaled $33,000.

The district cost for St. Mary Alternative is $1,650.

District 1 is responsible for paying 33 percent toward the Central Office Complex and St. Mary Alternative maintenance and capital request amounts. The percentage is based on the student population of each specific district.

Upgrading the Crowell Building’s fire alarm system will cost the district $7,600.

The school board will meet at 5 p.m. today at the Central Office Complex for its monthly meeting. The board will vote to approve and finalize each district’s budget.