Beauregard Parish to use $250,000 from 2023 bond to start Maryville High drainage repairs; boiler replacement to be added to Thursday agenda

Beauregard Parish School Board members voted Nov. 10 to allocate $250,000 remaining from the 2023 bond to begin drainage repairs at Maryville High School after administrators described repeated campus flooding.

A facilities presenter said drone imagery shows severe washouts and multiple tributary flows converging behind the school, and identified a plan that includes cutting a new north‑side ditch, installing culverts, adding underground drainage where required, grading and placing washproof barriers, and repairing soffits and roof drainage details that currently divert water back under structures. “This is a very needed project,” the presenter said, noting the campus sits roughly three feet lower than adjacent terrain and that water has entered classrooms and auditorium spaces in recent storms.

Administrators cautioned that while the board approved $250,000 to start the work, subsurface conditions could raise the full cost substantially. The presenter said bids were instructed to be conservative and that the “high end” might be closer to $2 million once sinkholes or other subsurface issues are investigated. A civil engineering team is scheduled to walk the site Dec. 1 to refine scope and cost.

Board members also discussed persistent HVAC problems in the new gym, where temporary portable air‑conditioning units have been used for events. Staff reported two boilers supply heat to the building, one of which was repaired and the other likely needs replacement. Replacement estimates discussed during the meeting ranged from approximately $60,000–$80,000 for a single unit, with a separate estimate of about $120,000 to replace both boilers. The board agreed to add a Thursday agenda item to consider purchasing replacement boilers from available bond funds or other sources.

What’s next: staff will host the civil engineering walk‑through on Dec. 1, refine cost estimates, and bring procurement or contract recommendations back to the board; the boiler replacement will be considered at the Thursday meeting if a unanimous agenda addition is approved.