$1.3 million, plus land was offer for Leon Godchaux JH

BY KYLE BARNETT

Staff Reporter

Reserve – The St. John School Board turned down a proposal Thursday night from the Port of South Louisiana to buy Leon Godchaux Junior High in Reserve. The Port offered $1.3 million and a nearby 14-acre parcel of land in exchange for the junior high.

The Port had been seeking to turn the junior high into its new headquarters.

“Perhaps we can negotiate with them on this,” said School Board President Gerald Keller after all nine present members of the board voted to reject the proposal.

Deputy director of the Port of South Louisiana Henry Sullivan said the offer was based on the higher of two independent appraisals and that the Port may not be allowed by law due to its status as a public entity to make a higher offer.

“We thought it was a very good offer,” said Sullivan. “We will continue to have negotiations.”

In other activities that required action by the board, board members funded a number of projects and rejected or tabled a few others. Bleachers for the new East St. John High School baseball field at a cost of $35,000 were approved. Also approved was a six-foot fence to surround the new baseball field at a cost of $14,400. An air conditioning overhaul at West St. John Elementary was approved for $81,760.

Bids for a chiller and chill water lines at John L. Ory were rejected as the lowest bid was close to $100,000 more than the amount budgeted for the improvements, negotiations and/or rebidding on the project will be reopened by the board at a later time.

Funding for Air conditioning at the East St. John High School addition was tabled until a special meeting next week due to the limited amount of time board members had to look over the funding report.

Construction on the addition to East St. John High

School was given an extension of 60 days for completion due to stoppages caused by inclement weather and complications concerning remnants a prior building on the site. The project was originally slated for completion Jan. 1, 2008 but has been granted the new date of Feb. 28, 2008.

The School Board hosted an abnormally large crowd due its annual Christmas pageant which took place as part of Superintendent Michael Coburn’s report.

Students from the LaPlace Elementary Bell Choir Performed at the event to the apparent delight of school board members. Winners of the St. John the Baptist Parish Schools Christmas Card Contest were announced as well.

The winners were 1st place- Sunni Millet, 6th grade student, John L. Ory Magnet; 2nd place- Haley Duplessis- 3rd grade student, LaPLace Elementary; 3rd place- Kajuana Mitchell, 12th grade student, West St. John High.

The winners of the contest will have the honor of their cards being sent as season’s greetings to other school boards in the state and local businesses.