The Webster Parish School Board met Monday in a special meeting to choose an architect to develop plans for building a field house for Minden High School.
“Our policy does not state nor are you bound to have to put this question of architect out for any type of bid process. You have a right to name who you so choose,” Superintendent Johnny Rowland explained to the Board.
Rowland provided information on Perry Watson with Yeager Watson and Associates.
“I put together some information on him because we’re very familiar with him. He’s familiar with us,” Rowland said, “He works according to what state fees are and they discount those fees one half percent.”
Rowland said Watson works on a contingency basis and if the bond issue was not passed, he would not require payment.
“You could certainly go with him or you could go with others,” Rowland said.
Many School Board members agreed with the suggestion of Yeager, Watson and Associates. The firm has done work for schools within the parish before.
“I don’t know if there is an architectural firm that has done more business with us than Yeager Watson and we’ve dealt specifically with Perry. Mr. Rhymes, I believe you’ve had experience with him in Cotton Valley, we had experience with him when the Sarepta campus was rebuilt seven or eight years ago and he was the architect for Northwest Louisiana Technical College. In every case I’m aware of he’s gone above and beyond with giving us more building for our buck than anybody else could have, ” Vice President Charles Strong said.
Financial Director, Crevonne Odom said, “In my almost 20 years being here, we have only deviated from Perry Watson one time. The one time that we did, we went over budget by almost $10 million.”
Charles Strong made the motion to go with Watson, Ronald Rhymes seconded the motion. There was a roll call vote with unanimous support for the motion. John Madden, Jerry Lott, and Jerri O’Neal were not present.
The needs for a new field house were expressed at the last school board meeting by Minden High Football Coach Spencer Heard and Principal Rebecca Wilson at the regular school board meeting held November 5.
Watson would be hired to make plans for a new field house for Minden High School after the old field house was marked condemned. The board would have to announce a plans for a bond election at the December 3 meeting for it to be brought for election in May 2019.