Lake Pontchartrain Elementary demolition approved

Published 7:21 am Wednesday, March 25, 2015

School Board recognizes St. John’s finest

RESERVE — The St. John the Baptist Parish School board unanimously voted Thursday to award the Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School demolition contract to ARC Abatement 1.

With a $615,278 bid, ARC Abatement 1 was the lowest qualified bidder.

Fifth Grade Students of the Year are, front row from left, Eian Bailey of LaPlace Elementary, Jada Brown of John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet, Muntrail Jones of Fifth Ward Elementary, Jai Gaines of East St. John Elementary, Kennedi Browning of Emily C. Watkins Elementary, Cheyenne Hidalgo of Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet and Madison Dinvaut of West St. John Elementary. Not pictured is District Fifth Grade Student of the Year Victoria Scott of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary.

Fifth Grade Students of the Year are, front row from left, Eian Bailey of LaPlace Elementary, Jada Brown of John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet, Muntrail Jones of Fifth Ward Elementary, Jai Gaines of East St. John Elementary, Kennedi Browning of Emily C. Watkins Elementary, Cheyenne Hidalgo of Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet and Madison Dinvaut of West St. John Elementary. Not pictured is District Fifth Grade Student of the Year Victoria Scott of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary.

In a special meeting held earlier this month, the board voted unanimously to table the decision until last week’s meeting because the School District was working with the company on paper work related to the District’s Disadvantage Business Enterprise Policy.

Now that all paperwork and license issues are resolved, the project is moving forward.

According to All South Consulting Engineers’ Cindy Janecke, project manager for LPE’s construction, the demolition will start in April and be complete within 110 days of the mobilization of the site.

Since its vacancy, following the flooding of Hurricane Isaac in 2012, the LPE community of 600 kindergarten through eighth grade students and staff members are located in a temporary site at the rear of St. John Elementary.

This site consists of 15 modular buildings, housing more than 30 classrooms and offices.

LPE’s new 95,927 square foot school building will be located on the same land at 3328 Highway 51 in LaPlace and is set to open at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.

The meeting also recognized the parish’s students, faculty and staff members of the year. Antoinette Robinet of Emily C. Watkins Elementary School received the parish’s Principal of the Year award.

“I am so humbled by this award and all of you here, and I can’t wait to bring this back to the teachers and staff at Emily C. Watkins,” Robinet said.

Among the teachers who received overall awards were Lynn Jamieson of LaPlace Elementary, Natalie Klibert of John L. Ory Magnet School and Brett Zimmerman of West St. John High School.

The board also voted to approve the third year budget application in a five-year grant cycle for the parish’s Head Start program.

— By Kristen Higdon