By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

RESERVE — Motorists driving by East St. John High School could start seeing demolition machinery and dumpsters as early as next week as rebuilding efforts are gaining steam at the school.

All South Consulting Engineers’ Cindy Janecke, the project manager for the district’s rebuilding efforts, said Lincoln Builders, the contractor awarded the $10 million contract to repair the high school in July, would start work at ESJHS next week.

She said this week Lincoln Builders employees will be on the school’s grounds setting up a trailer and putting up fencing in preparation for demolition work next week to repair the school, which flooded in 2012 with Hurricane Isaac.

Currently, all ESJHS students attend class at the old Leon Godchaux High School building in Reserve.

District 2 School Board Member Albert Burl, whose area of representation includes ESJHS, said this week he is happy work will finally begin at the campus, adding St. John the Baptist Parish residents deserve to see the progress being orchestrated behind the scenes, including contracts and funding being secured.   

Additional progress was announced in two other areas of St. John the Baptist Parish School District’s rebuilding efforts at Thursday night’s School Board meeting.

The Board unanimously decided to contact with Hard Rock Construction LLC of Metairie to complete hazard mitigation work at ESJHS.

Janecke said mitigation work will include constructing an earthen ring levee around the school’s grounds, as well as a pump station, completely updated drainage, replacement of curbing and pavements and a new entrance and exit at the school. She said all mitigation work was mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to receive federal funding for the school’s reconstruction.

Janecke said the first round of work would start in the school’s main building, gymnasium and cafeteria. In early October facade brick around the school would start getting replaced, adding work will move to the votech building, small classroom building and field house after the initial buildings are done.

“You’ll see a lot going on,” Janecke told the Board of the next few months.

She said the ESJHS rebuild remains on track, with summer 2015 targeted as the time contents would begin being moved in and students, teachers and administrators projected to start the 2015-16 school year in the renovated buildings.

Lincoln Builders is “very aware of timelines” associated with the project, Janecke said, and they are committed to involving as many local subcontractors and workers as possible.

Regarding progress on Lake Pontchartrain Elementary’s new building, Janecke said demolition plans are almost complete and project architect Yeates and Yeates is working on the future building’s schematic design. LPE was the other district school flooded by Hurricane Isaac.

As far as funding in concerned, Janecke told the Board the final $14 million in FEMA funds for the repair of LPE and ESJHS are on the way to Washington to be obligated.

The additional money will bring total federal funds received to $39 million.