Department of Planning & Construction (Current Status of All Projects) 2009 Infrastructure & Capital Improvements Projects Summary (Approved July 21, 2009) (66.3 KB)

By Superintendent Donald Songy, Ascension Parish Public Schools

In this time of thanksgiving, it is only fitting to once again say “Thank You” to people of Ascension Parish for your overwhelming support of our public school system.  Your strong support over the years has helped to make the Ascension Parish Public School System the driving force in our parish’s overall growth and well-being and a state leader in quality education.

Recently, the Louisiana Department of Education released it latest District Performance Scores report, which assigns a performance score and ranking to all the public school systems in the state.  According to that latest report, Ascension Parish Schools has improved to become the No. 4 public school district in the state! We are proud of our students, parents, faculty and staff for this accomplishment.

And we’re even more proud of the fact that our school system is positioned to continue its improvement thanks to a $100 million facility improvement plan that was overwhelmingly approved on Oct. 17.  Nearly 82 percent of the voters who cast their ballot said YES to the much-needed improvement plan for our school system.  The plan includes the construction of a new G.W. Carver Primary, major renovations at Prairieville Middle and Gonzales Primary, the expansion of our other campuses, upgrades of the electrical infrastructure and technology networks on our older campuses, and the installation of security cameras at all our campuses.

These improvements will allow our school system to correct the huge disparity that exists among so many of our schools.  We will no longer have a system of “haves” and “have nots,” but a cohesive district equipped to successfully manage our growing enrollments and the growing expectations of our students.

Our facility managers and school board members have been working diligently to review and approve architectural and engineering plans. This process will be ongoing as we phase in projects earmarked in the construction plans. Our goal is to complete the projects in a timely manner to benefit the most students.

We pledge to keep the people of Ascension Parish up-to-date on the progress of these projects with reports to the local media and postings on our district website. The public is also invited to our monthly school board meetings where we will discuss and approve the progress of our system.

We recognize and value the support and input of the people of Ascension Parish, and we are thankful for the strong partnership we have with our communities.  It’s making a positive difference!