• By C.J. FUTCH
• Advocate River parishes bureau
• Published: Nov 4, 2009 - Page: 3B

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The Ascension Parish School Board on Tuesday adopted the certified election results of the system’s $100 million bond initiative, passed by parish voters Oct. 17, and authorized the sale of those bonds at Tuesday night’s regular meeting.

The vote was the next step toward beginning a renovation campaign that will eventually affect 20 campuses.

Chad Lynch, director of planning and construction for the system, presented a tentative timeline for how the renovations, construction and upgrades will proceed at an Oct. 27 meeting of the board’s Strategic Planning Committee.

Lynch told members then that he would like to begin with smaller projects, including electrical and restroom upgrades to some of the system’s older campuses in January, leaving his department time for planning larger projects — classroom additions and a new $16 million facility to replace George Washington Carver Primary School.

Voters agreed to the bond initiative, and an extension of a 15.08-mill property tax to repay the debt. The tax now costs property owners with a home valued at $200,000 about $190 a year.

In other School Board news Tuesday:

n Board member Harold Jarreau reported that the board will move forward with plans to take over the Ascension Civic Center in Sorrento, and convert the space into a warehouse. The board owns the center, and had been leasing the property to the parish, which in turn rented the facility out for community events, including the annual Sorrento Boucherie Festival.

n The Transportation Committee reported that six of the system’s buses will be donated to the city of Gonzales and Ascension Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness.