New School Building Set For Grand Caillou

HOUMA, La. (AP) — Students, teachers and parents in the Grand Caillou area are celebrating the Terrebonne School Board's approval of a new middle school building.

The nearly 58,000-square-foot, two-story building was approved Tuesday. It is expected to be completed by 2014.

Construction will cost more than $15.7 million. The Courier reports that money will come from voter-approved interest-free bonds to be paid off using money from the board's 1-cent sales tax.

The building will serve about 450 students.

The project's price is higher than the $12 million school officials originally estimated. The increased costs are partially a result of efforts to lessen flood risk. The bottom floor, for example, is built up a few feet so it sits 10 feet above sea level.