By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

RESERVE – The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board revealed an interesting bit of information concerning the cease and desist letter received from the State Licensing Board for Contractors during their special meeting on Aug. 6.
Board member Albert Burl said the licensing board did not intend for the letter to sound the way that it did. He then attempted
to assuage the frustration about the most recent hangup in the recovery of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary and East St. John High School from the audience.
“Now they’ve rescinded some of the information, saying that that was not their intent on certain parts. We just want to get clarification and do what’s in the best interest of our students. It’s not going to take that long. We just ask that you bear with us,” he said.
This was not bad news, per se, but it added to the confusion surrounding the entire rebuilding project. The board did not acknowledge receiving an update from the licensing board during its second special meeting on Aug. 8.
The board then went back and forth to decide what company they would use to handle the appeal process for FEMA’s recent revelation. School board member Russ Wise said the agency would only agree to issue $11 million in funding, $37 million short of the estimated cost
to repair and rebuild
the schools. According to Burl, the school
board had already begun looking for a company to do the appeal, and had two options: CSRS, which offered its services for $125,000, and All South Consulting Engineers LLC, which gave a price of $15,000.
Board member Russell Jack made a hasty motion to award the contract to All South. Board member Rodney Nicolas added an admendent to Jack’s motion, saying the board should award the contract to All South pending approval by the licensing board.
“Our appeal process is urgent and imminent. We know we have a Sept. 6 deadline, but I’d like Mr. Jasmin to contact the licensing board to make sure that All South has all the credentials to do the appeal process because I don’t want to be here discussing this again,” said Nicholas.
The motion passed with seven yeas and three nays, with Clarence Triche, Gerald Keller and Lowell Bacas dissenting.
Jasmin said he had been in discussions with the licensing board but would like to get everything in writing before he made a recommendation.
The school board will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. Among other business, one agenda item will deal with the selection of an architect for the construction of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary’s temporary campus.