The St. Bernard Parish School Board convened for a special meeting before the regularly scheduled session. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss building projects, including the construction of the new Lacoste Elementary.

Special Meeting
The Board heard from School Board Architect Albert Carey on the recently tabulated bidding process.

“We had seven bidders on this project and the low bidder was FHP Tectonics Corp,” Carey informed the Board. The bid from FHP was $21,968,000, which came in under the estimated budget of approximately $23 million.
Mr. Carey also informed the board that though FHP was a Chicago based firm, they had moved down here and performed work on other schools.

Board member Joseph Long moved that the School Board accept the low bid, and the motion passed 10-0.

Also involving the construction of the new school was the acquisition of land through the Lot Next Door program. The Board heard from Hugh Harlton on the current negotiations with the property owners of lots 3105 and 3117 on Mumphrey Road. The lots have already been considered in the design of the school, and are essential to preserve the plans for sufficient off-street parking for the facility.

The lot at 3105 Mumphrey was appraised by the Board’s team at $114,000. The owner had a separate appraisal performed, and his returned at $118,000. After consulting with Michael Gorbaty about the legality of offering than the minimum bid, the Board approved the purchase price of $116, 350.

The owner of 3117 is still in talks as the council awaits an appraisal on the property.

Oil Spill Litigation
The School Board went to executive session to discuss the options in pursuing a claim against BP and Transocean for damages or losses from the oil spill.

After the executive session, William Egan moved that the Board authorize the DA to file and grant the DA the necessary authority to file any other documentation related to the issue. The deadline for filing a claim is April 20.

Cultural Wrap-Up
Charles Cassar provided an in-depth update of the Cultural Arts Programs, which included praise for the recent performance of “The Boyfriend” and all the teachers and students involved, from both Cassar and the Board.
“How fortunate we all are to be in a community…an educational community who appreciate [that] we have talented children,” Cassar said.

Cassar took some time to remind everyone of the Fine Arts Festival that is a part of Art in April, taking place this weekend. The Fine Arts festival has been praised in years past as the largest student art project in Louisiana.

Other Motions and Topics:
The Board approved continued construction at Andrew Jackson and Trist Middle Schools. This includes updates and repairs to Andrew Jackson’s gymnasium and a reconfigured science lab for Trist. Some of the work had been performed before the start of the school year, and the work approved at the meeting will continue this summer. The Board approved 10-0.

The revised 2010-2011 General Fund and Lunch Fund was approved, along with the budget projections. These revisions reflected changes in grants, and the increased student enrollment in the parish, as well as participation in programs. This is an update from the original submitted in May 2010, and the revisions last October. Vote was 10-0.

A bus idling policy was implemented, that would require drivers to turn off buses while loading and unloading students. This is part of an initiative for asthma protection in schools, recommended by the Department of Health and Hospitals. The policy was approved 10-0.

The board authorized the bidding for gasoline, diesel, oil, and other items that may exceed $30,000 in the fiscal year starting July 1. Other contracts approved for bidding included painting and body repairs and for the Boards official journal. All of these are yearly contracts. All were approved 10-0.

The Board authorized the issuance of a request for proposal for fiscal agency, as the three year agreement with Gulf Coast Bank and Capital One Bank are ending. The Board approved 9-0-1, with Mr. Warner abstaining.
The Board held a moment of silence for Belinda Lee, a cafeteria worker with the school system who had passed away this week. Ronald Nicosia spoke for the board, “She was a fine lady.”

Personnel Changes were reviewed for the 2011-2012 school year, including teacher appointments, transfers, and retirements. A job fair will be held Saturday, May 7 for any remaining positions. The location of the fair has yet to be set.

Superintendent Voitier also reminded all the members of the reception next week in honor of the National Academic Games Team.