MAURICE — The Vermilion Parish School Board’s Properties’ Committee agreed to purchase two acres of land next to Cecil Picard Elementary in Maurice.
School board member Chris Gautreaux brought up the buying of the land and explained that the school is landlocked and land for sale near the elementary school does not come up for sale too often.
The appraised price for the two acres (2.075 acres to be exact) is $72,000 or about $36,000 an acre.
Gautreaux explained the land would be used for a parking lot for teachers, who are parking all around the school today. He also predicts the land could be used for additional classrooms in the future.
It would also cost the school board another $30,000 to place limestone for the parking lot.
New school board member Jean Broussard asked a good question. “Do we have the money?” said Broussard.
“It seems like a lot of money,” said Gautreaux. “But we will never get this chance to buy land next to Cecil Picard. It is an investment we should make.”
Broussard also asked if there was anyway the landowner would want to swap parts of 16 Section Land owned by the school board for the two acres.
School Board attorney Woody Woodruff explained it would be five acres of 16 Section Land to one acre of Maurice land because of the value of the Maurice property. Plus, he added, he did not think the landowner would be in favor of that deal.
“It makes sense to buy the land because they do not make land anymore,” added Broussard.
The entire school board has to vote on buying the land at Thursday’s meeting before it becomes official.
