The new South Lafayette High School is scheduled to open in August 2017. In order to stick to that timeline, the school board has given Superintendent Donald Aguillard permission to authorize certain project expenses without the board’s approval.

“Some of our high schools are overcrowded and have way too many temporary buildings,” Aguillard told KLFY’s Lydia Magallanes.

Lafayette Parish is getting a new high school to alleviate overcrowding. The key now is constructing that school as quickly as possible.

Following the board’s decision on Wednesday, Superintendent Aguillard can bypass the board and approve individual projects of up to $100,000 with a maximum cap of $500,000 in total expenditures.

That includes things that have to happen prior to actual construction, like property surveying and environmental assessments.

“It is one of the highest needs in the district, therefore, we’re doing this out of the 126 million dollars worth of bond (funds) the board has the capacity to authorize,” the superintendent said.

Money isn’t the issue for the estimated $70 million project. It’s time.

And the board wants to avoid any delays, “We really can’t waste a single day. The board meetings are on the first and second Wednesday of the month. So during that three week period of time (between meetings) we might lose several days of possible construction work,” Aguillard explained.

The board will look at companies interested in managing the projects construction at the November 11th meeting.