Schools HQ Almost Ready

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News — If the weather cooperates, the Central Community School System could move its administrative offices to its new headquarters as early as Monday, Feb. 20, according to Central schools Supt. Jason Fountain.

The newly-constructed 13,000 square foot building is nearly complete at the corner of Hooper and Sullivan roads.  Built at a cost of $4.5 million, the facility will house offices for 30 staff members, a school board meeting room that will seat 200 attendees, and a multi use area.

The administration building will replace rented space in the old Starkey school building on Joor Road and save $108,000 a year in rent, Fountain said.

Construction of the school headquarters is one more step toward revitalizing the historic property on the southeast quadrant of Hooper and Sullivan.  In the 1880’s, there were a number of private elementary schools in what is now Central. People wanted a high school but couldn’t agree on a site.  When land at the corner of what is now 

Hooper and Sullivan was donated for a school, it was named the “Central School” because it was centrally located among the various one-room school houses.  At that time, there was no Central community, but scattered farmhouses, a few stores, and several post offices.  However, over the years, the area became associated with the name of the school, and by the 1930’s, people started referring to “Central” as the area within a couple of miles of the Central School.  So Central began as a spot — the southeast quadrant of Hooper and Sullivan — and then was applied more broadly to the area.  Central was more clearly defined when the City of Central was incorporated in 2005.  It is bounded by two rivers — the Amite on the east and the Comite on the west — and Highway 64 on the north.

What is now Central High School graduated its first class in 1911 on the Central School site. The high school remained there until the current high school was built in 1970. At that time, the old high school became Central Junior High and then Central Middle School.  When the new Central School Complex was built further north on Sullivan in 2010, the old school site at Hooper and Sullivan was left without a school.  Many plans were advanced for the use of the property including construction of a City Hall for the new City of Central on the place where the new school administration headquarters has been built.  Mayor Jr. Shelton championed that project but it became mired in controversy and was never built.

At present, besides the school administration headquarters, the property includes the newly-renovated Wildcat Stadium and a promenade at the entrance to the stadium.  A track for the high school is currently under construction behind the stadium.

Supt. Fountain said no definite plan has been adopted for the remainder of the property. Former Mayor David Barrow and the Central City Council purchased land on the west side of Sullivan Road for a new City Hall.  However, Supt. Fountain said it’s not too late to located the new City Hall on school board property near the school administration headquarters if the

City of Central desires to do so.

Current Central Mayor Wade Evans is proceeding with plans to clear the newly-purchased land on the west side of Sullivan but said he’s still open to consider alternatives.

The $4.5 million cost of the new school administration building was made possible by $3.4 million in state capital outlay funds which were secured by Sen. Bodi White, who currently serves as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in the Louisiana Legislature.

The high school track now under construction was also made possible by White, who secured $2 million in capital outlay funds for the Central Athletic Foundation to oversee construction.

Supt. Fountain said the construction of the track has been more severely affected by the weather, and it is unclear if it will be ready in time for the Central High track season this spring.

In the school administration building, the public space at the entrance of the building can be opened into the school board meeting room for larger events.  Dr. Fountain said he expects the building will be used to host community events.

Central Mayor Wade Evans said he hopes an agreement can be reached to allow the City Council to utilize the School Board meeting room for Council meetings.  Supt. Fountain said he believes that could be worked out.

The school administration headquarters will include office space for the superintendent, directors, the business department, and special education staff.  No school system activities will remain at the Starkey site.

The new administration building will have about 200 parking spaces with visitor parking being added on the north side of the building.

One of the last things to be done is landscaping on the Sullivan Road side.  Dr. Fountain said as long as Sullivan Road is tied up in construction, the view of the new building will not be aesthetically where he would like it to be.

$7 million is being spent on the site including improvements to Wildcat Stadium, concession stand, promenade, and the administrative building, not counting the new track.

The architect for the new administration building was Grace Hebert Curtis, who also did the work to renovate Central High and Tanglewood. Contractors were Cangelosi Ward for the administration building, Lemoine for the high school, and Percy J. Matherne for Tanglewood.

Supt. Fountain summarized his feelings about the new administration building by saying it will provide needed office and meeting space while saving $108,000 a year in rent, increase the value of the school board property at Hooper at Sullivan, provide good use of state money while saving local taxpayer funds, provide the community with a building they can be proud of while not being extravagant, and be a good investment for the future especial-

ly with rising construction costs.