By Paige Nash

At the January regular meeting the Bienville Parish School Board (BPSB) approved authorizing the Superintendent to advertise and receive sealed bids for a new permanent roof along with heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for Ringgold School Complex.

Director of Maintenance and Transportation Eric Carter presented an estimate provided by Yeager, Watson & Associates, LLC as of Dec. 2023 for Ringgold re-roof and HVAC replacement totaling $5,173,622.50

This estimate includes demolition of the remaining roof, reimbursement for fees inccured and labor to install new roof with 60 mil PVC, deck repair, replacing (76) 3 ton rooftop HVAC units and curbs and (6) 15 ton rooftop HVAC units and curbs. 

The roof replacement is much needed following a severe storm that passed through the area last year and critically damaged the roof of the Ringgold School Complex. The school has been functioning with a temporary fix since then and will continue to do so until the permanent roof can be installed.

Board member for District 7 Donald Calloway expressed the importance of insuring the advertisement for bid went out in a timely matter, so that this issue will not be pushed back until the fall session. 

New Vice-President and Board member for District 6 Colton Guin asked, “On the Ringgold complex, is this all that needs to be done to completely finish it or is there anything else that needs to be done, as well?”

According to Carter there are other repairs needed at the school, but the roof is the department’s priority at this time.

“There will be other things that come up for instance we have to eventually replace the floor in the gym. It’s certainly playable now, they are doing quite well on it,” said Carter. “We do not want to do anything that would interfere with getting the roof finished. If we can complete that this summer then in the fall we can work on other stuff.”

Advertising for bids on the new roof and HVAC system will be going out in the next couple of weeks.