The Webster Parish School Board will meet in a called board meeting Tuesday to decide the fate of Minden High School’s football stadium.
On the agenda is a board committee recommendation, a written description and a financial worksheet to “reflect the Minden High School/Community Stadium Building Committee.”
In a District 6 committee meeting Wednesday, the committee voted to have the stands rebuilt in the same location with the drainage issues to be addressed.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Rawls says the board will make a decision on how best to handle the demolition and reconstruction of the grandstands at the school’s football stadium.
“The agenda includes a written description of what’s going to be done, a financial worksheet to show how much it’s going to cost, and what it’s going to cost internally to fund it,” he said. “We have what the Federal Emergency Management Agency is going to pay for and what we are going to pay for.”
Finance Director Crevonne Odom, in an email to Rawls, estimates there is $3 million available for the stands project.
“This is less than the original amount that I gave the board for future elementary projects,” she said in the email. “Please understand that by using this money for the stadium that we now have no funds available for any future elementary projects. As I have stated before, the collections for all sales taxes are declining. Therefore, we will have less money to work with for the maintenance of all our schools in the Minden district.”
To give a preliminary idea of what will come out of pocket, based on FEMA’s figures, Perry Watson, of Yeager, Watson and Associates, says roughly $1.1 million of internal funds would be used, if need be.
“The actual out-of-pocket cost may be quite less, but the funds for the full amount should be available,” he said.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. at Central Office, located at 1442 Sheppard St.
