Vermilion Parish School System creates repair list for all 20 parish schools

It is no secret that Vermilion Parish has some old school buildings. When you have buildings that average 50 years old, things break and need to be repaired.
The oldest school is Indian Bayou Elementary, which began as a high school around 1949, making it 74 years old.
Recently, Assistant Superintendent Marc Turner and a group of school system employees visited all 20 schools in search of what is needed to be repaired or replaced at each school.
The group did a facilities inspections at the schools and created a repair priority list for each school. They listed at least the top five things that needed to replaced or repaired at each school.
The reason the list was created was to give the school board members and central office a list of critical things that needed to be done at each school.
“The school board has always talked about having a game plan with facilities,” Turner told members of the school board. “Having a list of all of the issues with the facilities, when something comes up, you will know all of the issues at every facility.”
Turner gave the example of how the facility inspection list will be used. Abbeville School Board member Kibbie Pillette has complained about the condition of the Abbeville High parking lot and how it needed to be repaired.
However, is the parking lot a need or a want?
According to the new list, as of today, it is a want. Turner said AHS was in need of a new intercom system. Abbeville High was operating without one and that was needed more than repairing the parking lot, Turner explained.
“Mr. Pillette had no idea the intercom system did not work,” said Turner. “The teachers could not call the front office. That is a huge safety issue not having an intercom. That is a problem that a school board member does not know what is going on.”
Before the fatalities inspections list was created, the principal that complained the most normally got the repairs done the quickest, said Turner.
Now, the list gives Maintenance Supervisor Kerry Richard “ammunition” on what school projects need to repaired or not repaired, Turner continued.
“This list will help Kerry, myself, the school board members to make a decision,” said Turner.
Turner said things on the facility inspection list need to be addressed now because in the future the items will be a safety issue if they are not addressed.
The next phase is to go down the facility inspection list and prioritize what needs to be done the quickest.
Turner said one issue that needs to be addressed is training principals how to identify facility issues around their school. Many walk right past a problem not knowing it is a problem, Turner explained.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Eaton Park Elementary

• Exterior Lighting is needed
• Better classroom lighting is needed.
• Steps and various walkway areas need to be repaired.
• Broken drainage pipe under the cafeteria.
• Walkways need to be painted to avoid rot and slippage.

Herod Elementary

• Exterior Lighting is needed
• Better classroom lighting is needed.
• Steps, ramps, and various wooden walkway areas need to be repaired.
• Walkways need to be painted to avoid rot and slippage.

Leblanc Elementary

• Drainage needs to be addressed. Playground holds water.

Seventh Ward Elementary

• Playground Drainage
• HVAC: Fan Coils are in need of repair/replacement
• Crisis Evacuation Pick Up Site- Groundwork/Culverts/Gates, Rock, etc
• Crisis: fence to create one point of entry
• Indicator light for pumps.

FIEB

• Exterior playground intercom speaker and camera
• Pump monitoring system is needed

Dozier Elementary
• Groundwork for the playground. Drainage problems
• Fence around septic system is needed
• Outside restroom is working but diminishing. Will need to be replaced in the future
• Need janitorial storage
• Pump monitoring system is needed

Jesse Owens Elementary
• Exterior doors are damaged with rust and rot
• Floor tiles will need replacing eventually

Kaplan Elementary
• Drainage between wings is needed. It slopes back into the school

Indian Bayou Elementary
• Wooden Floors Buckling
• No parking lot
• Water sits under the school

Meaux Elementary
• Portable building is sliding off the pillars due to bad drainage
• Drainage on campus needs to be addressed. Water sits under portable buildings.

Cecil Picard Elementary
• Drainage in the parking lot / car rider pickup area. Holds water
• Playground Drainage issues

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

North Vermilion Middle School
•Fence to secure the rear of campus. No single point of entry.
• Sink hole to the rear of office
• Outside storage needed for janitors.

JH Williams Middle School
• Gutters needed on the back side gym. Flooding occurs in the covered area and parent pick up area
• Sidewalks at the front of school are buckling due to the tree roots.
• Lighting at the front of the school is low.
• There is a dead oak tree in the front of the school.

Erath Middle School
• Water leaks through the exterior gym wall.
• Needs waterproofing
• Windows need to be recaulked

Rene Rost Middle
• Drainage between gym and walkways need to be addressed
• 2nd Floor flooring

HIGH SCHOOLS

North Vermilion High School
• Antique boiler is going out. Will need to eventually replace Hot water heater in the gym is broken.
• Need to upgrade the sewer plant with the new cafeteria coming.
• Sinkholes at field (SE and NE corners) and weightroom: SAFETY
• Wooden steps, walkways, and rails to P3 and P4 portable buildings
• Steps to P1 need repair
• The Athletic Track surface needs repair
• Parking is unfit when wet
• There is not a single point of entry

Abbeville High School
• Many exterior doors do not shut properly causing a security risk
• No single point of entry

Gueydan High School
• 100+ gal hot water tanks are busted and need to be removed (leaning) Safety Original Boiler for gym (heat) is overheating, pressure relief valves have popped off
• Windows need to be recaulked
• Cast Iron pipes need to be replaced in the courtyard. It keeps clogging. It must have a crack where roots and dirt are grabbing the paper.
• AC - GE units are old. They will eventually need to replace them.
• Stadium restrooms are in need of repair
• Walkway from student parking to school needs to be lifted because of continue flooding

Kaplan High School
• Install hose bib at concession stand and visitor dugout
• Need to run water lines from road to softball field
•Need to run water lines from road to indoor facility
• Top rails of the football stadium need to be repaired. Rusting and unsafe
• Walkway for butler buildings need repair. Rotting wood

Erath High School
• Restrooms under stadium
• Windows need to be caulked
• Sinkholes at football field
• Gym interior doors need to be replaced.

Also....
• Intercoms at schools will be replaced with ESSER funds.
• Parking lots and driveways are in need of repair at the majority of schools.