By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A portion of a recent St. John the Baptist Parish School Board meeting was focused on the future of East St. John High School, which took on severe damage from Hurricane Isaac as it tore through the region on Aug. 29.

Board members talked of building a new and better high school for the east bank, while others discussed the possibility of two smaller schools on opposite ends of the parish. Many residents of the region, however, believe the school system should work on repairing and renovating the existing school.

More than 50 percent of those who voted in last week’s website poll were in favor of renovations at the existing school. The next closest vote getter, about 20 percent of the vote, was the option of a new, larger, state-of-the-art high school on higher ground. Only 16 percent said the district should consider building two schools on the east bank.

A complete breakdown of the results is as follows:

• 55 percent of respondents chose “The school system should just repair and renovate the existing school.”

• 22 percent of respondents chose “It is time for a new, larger, state-of-the-art high school.”

• 16 percent of respondents chose “The district should consider building two east bank schools.”

• 6 percent of respondents chose “Expand the Leon Godchaux Junior High site to accommodate more students.”