School board proposes massive construction effort, new schools in south EBR
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BATON ROUGE – The East Baton Rouge Parish School System proposes using proceeds from a 1-cent tax renewal to pay for a renovation of Glen Oaks High, a new elementary school and land for another new school somewhere in the southern part of East Baton Rouge Parish.
There are nearly two dozen projects listed in a ten year plan.
CLICK HERE to see the entire list.
Immediately, the school system would spend $7,000,000 to renovate Glen Oaks. The school is in need of repair and was recently highlighted in a WBRZ report.
A new Buchanan Elementary School would be built where University Terrace Elementary sits in Old South Baton Rouge. The $25 million project would merge both schools, according to a preliminary list released Thursday.
The two schools are less than a mile away from each other - Buchanan is next to McKinley High, which would also be renovated but not until 2023 or 2024.
But, the school district hopes to purchase land for a new school in the southern part of the parish quickly, allocating $10,000,000 for purchasing property. A new school could be built in that area as early as 2020 or 2021 at a cost of $25,000,000.
The focus of swift, new construction is in an area that has been embroiled in the debate over a plan to create the new City of St. George out of a section of south and southeastern East Baton Rouge. The original plan was put together in a fight over schools.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School board votes on its measure and plans at a meeting Thursday night.
Check back for updates.
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