LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / May 27, 2000

LULING – The St. Charles School Board on Wednesday approved the $2million purchase of a 30-acre tract behind the railroad tracks from the West Bridge Park expansion. Any school planned for the site would benamed for the late Edward Dufresne Sr., father of the present Fifth CircuitCourt of Appeals judge, according to the purchase agreement.

An additional 10-acre donation of adjoining property will join that tract, making a 40-acre site. A railroad crossing with horns and gates will bebuilt at Sugarland Parkway, which passes between the park and the school board office from River Road, to access the school site.

“This is such a good deal for us, I don’t think we can pass this up,” commented school board member John L. Smith.The purchase will be made from current capital improvement funds, with half down now and the rest in two installments, to be paid in January 2001 and January 2002.

Larry Sesser, executive director of physical plant services, commented, “The greatest need is for a new middle school, but that can change.”One clause of the purchase agreement is to name whatever school is eventually built on the site for the late Edward Dufresne Sr.

Dufresne was born in Lucy in 1899, acquired the present Esperanza Plantation in 1937 and built the present house in 1957-59. He died in1978. His son, Edward Jr., was born in 1938, and has been in public officesince 1964, as clerk of court, district judge and, since 1982, on the appellate court bench.

The purchase agreement met with some opposition from St. Rose areaparents who complained the board should first spend money building a new replacement school for St. Rose Primary.Mary Bunch and Kelly Scullin each urged the board to build where the need is greatest now. “We have pre-K through fourth grade in one building,”Bunch said. “The school is dilapidated.”Smith, board member for the St. Rose area, responded that the apparentdelays were caused by mounting cost estimates for the planned St. Roseschool and said an election may come later this year to get voter approval for refinancing bonds to finance the now-estimated $12 million project.

However, Smith emphasized, “the project is very much alive.”

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