As the Hahnville High School boys basketball team made its way to Lake Charles this week to play in the state basketball tournament, its home gym – as well as Destrehan High’s – was being prepped for a major facelift.
Both high school gymnasiums are undergoing an expansive renovation beginning this week, with work to be completed in two major phases. The improvements come as result of the 2019 sales tax bond that earmarked $15 million for several major projects to enhance St. Charles Parish’s public schools, including the gym renovations.
Phase one of the project will see the seating of each gym expanded to over 1,000 capacity. Each gyms will have updated fixtures and surfaces, the installation of a new scoreboard, bleachers and sound system, renovated and expanded restrooms and renovations to the concession stand and lobby. It is estimated those improvements will be completed by July.
Phase two will run concurrently to phase one, and includes the addition of a new auxiliary gym and an elevated running track at each school. Work on phase two is estimated to be completed by January of 2022.
John Rome, Chief Plant Services and Security Officer for St. Charles Parish Public Schools, called it a complete modernization of each facility.
“Both high school gyms were built in the mid-1970s, and our area has expanded since then,” Rome said. “Enrollment has of course increased over the years, so the addition of more space and increased capacity is something that follows that … we outgrew it.
“And by adding additional space, there will be more space available for P.E. classes, athletic teams and extracurricular activities to use both during the school day and after hours. It’s increasing the opportunities our student-athletes will have to utilize our facilities because we’ll be able to better accommodate everyone, since space comes at a premium with so many groups competing to use it.”
The increased space, it stands to reason, could also potentially allow for basketball rivals Hahnville and Destrehan to host one another home-and-home each season – typically those games have been played at R.K. Smith Middle School’s gymnasium for its increased seating capacity, given the strong attendance those contests draw each year.
Likewise, playoff games have been moved to the R.K. Smith site for similar reasons. That did not apply this season due to attendance restrictions necessitated by COVID-19.
Bringing each gym over 1,000 seats puts both schools beyond the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s requirement for Class 5A playoff games, Rome said.
The 2019 bond is the third major bond project over the past decade. The 2012 bond issue led to the elimination of portable classrooms and addition of new school wings. In 2015, the targeted areas were upgrades to safety and security measures, including camera, fencing, lighting upgrades and safety-related building modifications.
The bond comes from sales tax revenue, thus the projects require no increased in taxes for the public.
Included among items that have been or will be handled as result of the bond: Key system, lock and access control upgrades at Allemands Elementary; HVAC air handler units and control replacements at the school district’s central office; a roof replacement at E.J. Landry Alternative Center; an HVAC replacement at Schoeffner Elementary; repair replacement of cafeteria structural beams at Luling Elementary; stadium concrete and grout repairs at Destrehan and Hahnville high schools; renovations to three buildings at Mimosa Park Elementary; drainage improvements at the Performing Arts Center, R.K. Smith Middle and the Satellite Center; stadium light fixture replacement at Destrehan and Hahnville high schools; and a main canopy and concrete replacement at Mimosa Park Elementary.
“We pride ourselves on being a Triple A district that excels in academics, athletics and the arts. The last couple of bond issues have allowed us to address needs in all areas,” Rome said.
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