By LEONARD GRAY

LULING – Not yet ready to proceed, the St. Charles Parish School Board recently delayed advertising for construction bids for the second phase of the new St. Rose Elementary School.

The board voted unanimously to delay seeking bids until the construction manager was satisfied as to materials to be used on the project.

Member Ronald St. Pierre moved for the postponement on the $4.165 million classroom building project, which is hoped to be open by fall 2003.

The board’s construction management consultant recommended the delay to ensure the correct materials are available, to closely match that used in the first phase of construction, expected to be completed in October.

It is expected the bid advertisement will be approved at the board’s next meeting on May 22.

The new school, when complete, will include a two-story classroom facility and a one-story building which will include the library and cafeteria.

The second-phase project is being financed by the $28 million bond issue approved by voters last fall.

Also, the board approved a fifth change order on phase one of the new St. Rose Elementary, which will reduce the contract cost by $4,784.65, bringing the total cost to $5,262,166.35.

The changes include deleting items such as decorative canopies and the air conditioning return ducts under the stage, as well as switching from vinyl tile to carpet floors in many areas of the library and administrative office.

The board also approved donating the servitude at Harry Hurst Middle School to the St. Charles Parish Council, which will allow the parish to make entrance improvements and provide for appropriate drainage for the front of the school’s campus on River Road.

In other business, summer school dates were announced for those students who score Unsatisfactory on one or more of the LEAP segments.

Dates for fourth- and eighth-graders are June 10-July 10 at Hurst Middle School; and for 10th-graders, June 10-28, at Hahnville High School.

In addition, school board meeting dates for July 2002-June 2003 were approved by the members.