$3.6M bid OK’d for A/C in gyms; Eight Terrebonne schools to get air-conditioning

Cooler physical education times are ahead for Terrebonne Parish students as the school board approved the final phase of a $3 million project to air condition eight school gymnasiums.

Construction is set to start in June. Building and Maintenance Supervisor Ira Davis said the project has been in the works for several years.

By the start of the 2007-08 school year, all four parish public high schools have two air conditioners each. Houma Junior High, Oaklawn Junior High, Evergreen Junior High and Southdown Elementary schools will all be equipped with one energy-efficient air conditioner each, Davis said.

“It was an administrative decision to ask the board to consider air conditioning all the gymnasiums in the parish. The board took the steps it needed to ensure that they got the best bid for the school system,” he elaborated.

At last Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved Volute Inc.’s bid to install 12 energy-efficient air conditioners in the spectator portion of the gymnasium n where assemblies and sporting events are held.

Davis said the Houma-based company has done many projects for the parish school system. “They are good and reliable,” he said.

The school board set the initial budget at $3.6 million to be taken from the general fund. Davis said after all the costs were added up, the final price came in $400,000 less than the projected cost.

This is currently the school board’s largest construction project, which Davis said is well worth every penny. He said not all the students use the gym, but for those that do, this will be a major improvement.

“In the spring and summer months, we are lucky if we can get the interior of the gyms cooled down to at least 90 degrees,” the maintenance supervisor said.

“Most of the students will benefit from the air-conditioned gyms, especially the volleyball and basketball teams. Right now, many of the schools have fans that are only good for circulating hot air,” said Stephen Barba, who heads South Terrebonne High’s Physical Education Department.

Barba said his classes generally like to go outside during the warmer months. He said on those bad weather days when the students are confined to the gym, air conditioning will be a great advantage.

School Board Vice President Hayes Badeaux Jr. opposed the recommendation, but failed to get the other votes of his fellow board members.

Badeaux said the $3 million could have been spent on something more important like getting parish students out of portable classrooms.

“Now that the plan has the green light, I can’t help put support it. I feel that the students will benefit from the air-conditioned gyms, I just don’t think it should have been top priority,” he said.

Among smaller projects, the school board is almost in the final stages of a $450,000 re-roofing at Andrew Price Alternative School, Greenwood Middle School and the Vocational Technical High School building 18.

“These were old schools that needed roofing repairs,” Davis said. “A roofing survey was done several years ago and now we are following up on the ones that really need repairing.”

According to Davis, the maintenance employees check schools’ roofs occasionally to monitor damages. The board approved the scope of the project, which will soon be distributed for bid. The final engineering costs have yet to be tabulated, Davis said.

“Roofing right now is very competitive. We are getting some good competition on it. Post-Katrina, the prices were extremely high; now it seems that they are stabilizing,” he said.