Jeff Davis School Board approves contract for Welsh Elementary Project

Published 11:52 am Saturday, July 19, 2025

The Jeff Davis Parish School Board is moving forward with the renovation and addition project for Welsh Elementary School, which was previously approved by voters.

The school board on Thursday approved a $4.6 million contract with Trahan Construction of Lake Arthur for the first phase of the project. The bid came in $1 million under budget, according to Superintendent John Hall.

“This project marks the first phase of work funded by the Welsh bond and focuses on improvements to the existing Welsh Elementary School campus,” Hall said.

The initial phase will include construction of a new-single story building that will serve as Welsh Upper Elementary School, for students in grades 2 through 5. The new facility will feature 16 classrooms with restrooms.

The new structure will replace a long row of portable buildings that have been known as “Brown Hall” for decades, Hall said.

“These buildings were temporary 40 years ago, and we’ve had trouble with leaks from the settling, animals underneath them, and flea infestations due to some of the animals….,” Hall said.  “This new building will be replacing that existing older building.”

Welsh Elementary will continue to use Brown Hall during the upcoming school year, with construction on the new building expected to be completed by next fall.

“So they should be ready to move in next year, and then we’ll tear down the existing older structure,” Hall said.

The second phase of the project focuses on new security upgrades, including fencing, cameras, fire alarm, intercom system, vestibules, along with drainage improvements at Welsh High School and Welsh-Roanoke Junior High School.

“We put our priorities first, which is the classrooms, in phase one, and we know how much that’s going to be; that way, we know how and what we can put into a bid in phase two,” he said.

The board also awarded a $28,045 quote from Bison Coatings and Foam of Sulphur for a flat roof coating project to repair the roof at Welsh Elementary School. The project includes a  a 20-year manufacturer’s warranty on material and a two-year labor warranty by contract.