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Yesterday evening, The Terrebonne Parish School Board approved a $1,496,516 budget increase for the Mulberry Elementary addition and renovation.
Now $14,875,389, the project budget that was approved in December of 2019 was $13,378,873.00.
In the works several years now, the site plan, which is an alternative option to the original more expensive one, includes 18 classrooms, a new cafeteria and new administration offices, an additional room for teachers and a band room. The budget approved on Tuesday also includes money for two alternates: $11,000 for laminated glass and 18 mil ballistic film on interior doors in the foyer area and $39,000 for 18 mil ballistic film on all exterior windows and doors.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Merlin Lirette, principal architect with the Merlin Group, addressed some of the school board members’ questions over the increase, detailing the modifications to the plan that raised the base bid to $13,478,000 — which was accepted from Thompson Construction, the lowest bidder.
“What you see is basically a $1.1 million increase in the construction cost,” Lirette added, before noting that the difference between the winning bidder and the second-lowest was $149,000.
Board member Gregory Harding highlighted the fact that in the past, multiple projects finished under budget, saving the school board money, but sometimes, such as the artificial turf added to high school football fields last year, they come in over budget.
“Sometimes they work for the better of us; sometimes they work against us,” he continued. “And I can say in 22 years that they’ve worked more for us than against us.”
Board member Michael LaGarde asked Lirette if there was any way the contractors could work with the District to get the costs down. “We can’t legally,” he answered. “You cannot negotiate into the contract or do anything until you have the contract.”
Board member Matthew Ford, who expressed at the meeting that he wasn’t getting a straight answer to justify the price raise, voiced his concerns regarding his constituents who will also question why it was approved. “Look, I’m all on board with the improvements…I just want to be able to say, ‘this is why we approved it,’” he said, after noting the Board’s opportunity to reevaluate the project before it goes through.
Roger DeHart, board member representing District 7, said because it’s an addition and renovation and the fact that a study showed the Mulberry was No.1 on the list for overcrowded schools in the parish, he could sell the price of the project “to anybody in the public.”
“I agree, Mr. DeHart — this would be an easy sell to anyone in your district because your district benefits…,” Ford responded. “However, other schools in my district and other districts around the parish need repair, need renovation, need expansion — they also need those things.”
“It could be this building; it could be a bid for paper,” he later continued. “It’s the fact that it came in so much higher than what was estimated.”
Ford objected to approving the budget increase to accept the low bid. All other board members present voted yes. Debi Benoit, Board President, and Vice President Stacy Verhagen Solet were not in attendance.
