School Board accepts bid on center

• By JAMES MINTON
• Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
• Published: Jul 10, 2009 - Page: 4B

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ZACHARY — The Zachary Community School Board accepted the low bid of $5.72 million Thursday for a new early learning center to be built on a 62 acres the board bought last year on Rollins Road.

Block Construction LLC, of Baton Rouge, was the lowest of 11 bidders for the 20-classroom project, which also includes a concrete road to the site.

Architect Henry J. Carville said bidding was highly competitive, with a price spread of only 2 percent among the four lowest bidders.

Building Committee Chairman Hubie Owen said the total budget the board set for the center is $8.2 million and the project may be finished $1.1 million under that figure.

Carville said the school for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students may be finished by July 1, 2010.

On another construction matter, Business Manager Gordon Robertson said the district has spent $186,443 to renovate the old Port Hudson Elementary School for use as the district’s Port Hudson Career Academy.

The academy is designed to assist struggling students graduate from high school and help students working toward equivalency diplomas and work training certificates.

Robertson said another $126,000 has been committed for the academy, including funds to buy computers, and the total cost is expected to be about $350,000.

Robertson estimated the board will spend about $500,000 annually for salaries.

Board members said the academy should serve as a site for students who opt for the so-called “career diploma” that the Legislature and Gov. Bobby Jindal recently approved.

Accountability Performance Director Michelle Clayton said the state Department of Education is still studying the new law and has not given local boards directions to implement the new diploma.

The board also approved several recommended personnel changes, including hiring Helen Folks from the state Education Department as the district’s child nutrition supervisor and hiring former Christian Life Academy head baseball coach Joshua Kirk as an adaptive physical education teacher at Zachary High.