By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Parish School Board’s building and grounds committee and finance committee voted Monday to move forward in finding a new home for the Ruston High softball program.
But it’s not returning to its original home near Glen View Elementary School on Bittersweet Street as was originally planned as part of a $17.5 million capital improvements bond that was approved by voters in an April election.
Instead, the two committees decided during a joint meeting to ask the full LPSB to vote to commit an additional $3.8 million to complete a new field on the old Ruston Girls Softball Association land on South Farmerville Street near the Ruston Sports Complex.
The Ruston City Council introduced a motion during its November meeting on Monday evening to sell the parcel of land the new softball field will be built on at the Sports Complex for $150,000.
That motion by the City Council will be voted on during their meeting next month.
The full LPSB will vote on committing an additional $3.8 million in a meeting set for Thursday at Ruston High School.
Building and Grounds committee chair Danny Hancock said the sale of bonds for the $17.5 million voter approved bond project has brought in $18,355,280 but that cost overrun has surpassed the initial project pricing up to around $21,000,000.
“It was really high at first but has been negotiated down to $18,800,000,” Hancock said. “We’re hoping we can get it down a little further, but we don’t know yet.
“To complete all the capital improvement plans we’re requesting to commit $3.8 million of the district’s local capital project funds from insurance proceeds and parish wide CPFs (Capital Project Funds) for the project.”
Hancock said cutting out what he termed “frills” helped cut down the project.
“We went from brick on some things to tin, and changed insulation on the pavilion,” Hancock said. “Everywhere we thought we could cut we cut from it.
“It’s just not as fancy or elaborate as originally planned.”
Durrett said the $3.8 million requested is a worst-case scenario but that he wanted to let the LPSB members know early on it could become needed.
“If we don’t need it all and have monies left, they would go back into the capital projects fund,” Durrett said. “This is still doing the project, just without some of the frills.”
Durrett said that in trying to make the softball field comparable to the boys’ baseball field, it was determined the Bittersweet Street site of the old field would not be adequate.
“As we got into the schematics of drawing plans and make them comparable to what the boys have, the field would need to be moved from where it is presently back toward the rear of the property to put grandstands, a concession stand and dressing rooms comparable to what the boys’ are.” Durrett said.
“We had hoped in the beginning to leave the field where it was and just replace the turf, add on to the dressing rooms, but with drainage issues and the lay of the land there and getting down to the typography of it, doing that was going to get more expensive than going down to (the Sports Complex).”
LPSB member David Ferguson was the only one voting against committing up to the additional $3.8 million for the project.
The LPSB building and grounds and finance committees also voted Monday to ask the full LPSB to commit to an additional $500,000 to the Choudrant School Bond Project approved by voters in April for additional classrooms with boys’ and girls’ restrooms ($1.5 million) as well as a new multi-purpose room for Choudrant High School ($500,000).
“For the Choudrant School District, there was a total of $2,195,384 we’re seeing from the sale of the bonds,” said Hancock. “But we’re seeing the cost of materials are going up and to complete this project requisition permission to commit an additional $500,000 from the insurance proceeds if we need it.
“The bond amount anticipated cost increases, but this should help cover that if it runs over (those anticipated increases).”
There were two other moves approved to be sent to Thursday’s full LPSB meeting — the approval of guidelines for distribution of 2024 certificated and support staff stipends for the 2024-25 fiscal year as the approval of guidelines for distribution of differentiated compensation stipends for 2024-25 fiscal year.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox. Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
