By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – The bids for the latest project in the list of facility renovations for the St. John the Baptist Parish school system all came in well over the estimated $2.7 million budget.

The low bidder for the project, Volute Inc., submitted a bid of nearly $3.3 million.

The project is for renovations at East St. John High School and includes upgrades to the school’s HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems as well as renovations to the school’s ceilings and restrooms.

Despite the bid being nearly $600,000 over budget, representatives from CSRS, the consulting firm handling the renovation projects, recommended the School Board accept the bid.

“We really have a small window of opportunity to perform this work,” said Project Manager Floyd Luster.

Chris Pellegrin of CSRS explained what the firm was really recommending was for the board to accept the bid after which the firm would draft a change order reducing the scope of the project to bring it within budget.

“What’s in the reductive change order is obviously the next question,” said Pellegrin.

“We are going to keep all of the things that are functioning well in the building,” he explained. “We do think this is a good solution for the board.”

Board member Russ Wise questioned why this bid came in so far over budget when the bids for all the previous projects had come in at or under budget.

“We’re in a different bid market right now,” said Luster.

Pellegrin added, “We’ve been very fortunate that they’ve all been under.”

Still, board members seemed reluctant to accept CSRS’s proposal. Ultimately, Wise moved the matter be tabled until the School Board could study the proposed reductions. That motion passed by a vote of 8-3.

Board President Patrick Sanders then called for a special meeting to be held Thursday, March 24, so thhe board could vote on the matter.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, board member Albert Burl III introduced a motion stating any non-mandated program the parish participates in at the urging of the Department of Education first be brought to the board for approval.

The move was in reaction to Superintendent Courtney Millet’s announcement that John L. Ory will be part of a pilot study for the state’s proposed student-based budgeting plan.

Although there was a general consensus of support for Burl’s proposal, many on the board were confused about what programs would fall under the jurisdiction of the proposed policy.

“I’d like clarification,” said board member Gerald Keller. “I don’t know what we’re voting on.”

The board ultimately decided to table the matter until the next regular meeting so the wording of the policy could be worked out.

Lastly, the board approved the administration’s proposed calendar for the 2011-12 school year.

The calendar extends the 2012 Mardi Gras to a full week, but it was explained the students would not be losing any instructional time because the Easter holidays had been shortened and 2012 is a leap year.

The new calendar has students starting school on Aug. 8. The last day of school will be May 23, 2012.

Thanksgiving holidays will Nov. 21-25, Christmas holidays will be Dec. 19-Jan. 3, Mardi Gras holidays will be Feb. 20-24, and Easter holidays will be April 2-6.