Modular buildings prove to be a fix in Terrebonne

Evergreen Junior High and H.L. Bourgeois High school’s student capacity will remain steady. However, five schools in Terrebonne Parish will receive one eight-classroom modular building this spring to accommodate the lack of space available in the school district.

The Terrebonne Parish School Board narrowly approved the purchase of five modular buildings last week. The vote was 5-4 with school board members Donald Duplantis, Roger Dale DeHart, L.P. Bordelon and Richard Jackson voting against the measure.

Prior to the board meeting, the Building, Food Services and Transportation Committee recommended that Bourg Elementary, Acadian Elementary and East Houma Elementary receive one of the eight-classroom modular buildings that were earmarked for either Evergreen Junior or H.L. Bourgeois.

Going into the meeting, this was the recommendation of the committee.

But before the vote was cast, board member Rickie Pitre amended the recommendation adding Schriever Elementary and Honduras Elementary schools to the list, bringing the modular total from three to five.

Duplantis stood against the addition, stating that the committee and Superintendent Ed Richard should research and figure out the exact size the additional schools would need to be before approving the purchase of two extra modular buildings.

“The original motion has a budget,” he said. “The amendment doesn’t.”

Roger Dale DeHart agreed, saying that he felt the amendment was improper. “What if those two schools need 10-classroom building instead of eight,” he explained. “We just found out about the other three two weeks ago.”

Honduras Elementary School Principal Sandra Hebert said there is a need for the modular classroom on several of the campuses in the parish. In the two years since Hurricane Katrina, the surrounding area continues to show signs of growth.

She said Honduras’ enrollment is growing every year, especially with the added pre-kindergarten classes.

“Every classroom on our campus is being used, and we have two portables being used on campus as well,” Hebert said.

Right now, Honduras has 48 pre-kindergartners, 46 kindergartners, 68 first graders, 65 second graders and 60 third graders, bringing the total number of students at the small school to 287.

Schriever Elementary’s enrollment nearly triples Honduras’ enrollment. At this point, Principal Peggy Marcel said Schriever has close to 700 students.

She said space is very limited. Schriever has a total of 95 pre-kindergartners.

Of those, three classes are being bused from Schriever to the Legion Park Middle School because of the limited space.

“Adding this modular classroom would allow us to house all our students on campus, instead of having to transport the children from school to school,” Marcel said.

Schriever has 144 kindergartners, 160-first graders, 144-second graders and 148-third graders.