By MELISSA PEACOCK

RESERVE – A tentative St. John the Baptist Parish School Board agreed Thursday to the sale of the old Second Ward School to the parish on the condition a clause be added to contracts stipulating the property be used only for recreation or education purposes.

Superintendent Michael Coburn has been in negotiations with Parish President Nickie Monica since August of last year. Calling the sale a “gentleman’s agreement,” Coburn said the parish would purchase the land from the School Board for $72,000 and would use the land to build a recreation facility for the parish.

“I don’t remember hiring the superintendent to make negotiations for me,” said Boardmember Russ Wise about the proposed sale. “I think it would be better for us to just lease this land to the parish . . . if we had a need for it we could call it back.

“I’m not sure I can in all good conscious turn it loose.”

The primary concern cited by Wise and other members is that, once purchased, the land will be used for purposes other than the proposed recreation facility.

“We talked about the purchase of the land in the past, but up until the last couple of weeks we haven’t heard anything about it,” said Parish Councilmember Melissa Faucheux. “I’ve been hearing rumors that the land is wanted to build a public works facility.”

According to District 1 Parish Councilman Lester Rainey, the council discussed purchasing the land two years ago. When the deal fell through, the council looked at other property within the parish.

“Last year when the School Board opted not to sell, the council found a site that was a much better location for the recreational site,” Rainey said. “The thing is – we want to build a recreational complex with multiple courts and multiple fields and I don’t think the Second Ward property is large enough to meet that need.”

According to Councilman Rainey, the Edgard Youth Organization was contacted during previous negotiations about the type of recreational facility needed on the West Bank. The organization spokesman said the site would not be large enough for tournament competitions.

Rainey said he has not been involved in current negotiations between the council and the School Board for acquisition of the property but stated that he would like to see the property utilized – just not for the recreation facility.

“We wouldn’t have room to expand,” Rainey said. “I would love to see it cleaned up and put into use – but it just isn’t big enough.”

District 1 School Board member Leroy Mitchell voted in favor of selling the land.

“It’s been sitting there for 20 years collecting snakes and grass,” Mitchell said to the board. “That property to anyone other than the council is worth zero.”

The board voted 7 to 4 to approve the sale under the aforementioned provision.