As part of their ongoing investigation into construction projects at the Lafayette Parish School System, The Current has posted two stories in recent days with new findings.
In one, the newspaper found that more bids in LPSS records were allegedly forged.
A company whose quote was allegedly forged for a Lafayette school construction project last year says there are more quotes in school system records that his company did not submit, The Current reported.
Josh Clements of Lafayette-based Clements Construction told the newspaper that documents bearing his company’s letterhead for projects involving multiple walkway covers and a new gym floor at Judice Middle School were manipulated to appear as though they were submitted by his company.
This week, the Lafayette Parish School System referred its ongoing forgery investigation to the Lafayette Police Department. The criminal probe is related to drainage pipe repair work at Charles Burke Elementary. The Current first reported the system’s use of an unlicensed contractor for the work in May.
Both the walkway covers and gym floor projects for which Clements says he did not submit quotes were flagged by auditors for having been broken up by school officials to circumvent public bid law. In a heated public meeting with auditors, school officials defended the practice, claiming it saved money and expedited projects.
To read this story about the allegedly forged bids, click here.
In the other update, The Current learned that an ag barn under construction at Carencro High not only had some "chopped into components" to avoid bid law requirements, but work done failed inspection.
In the planning stages since the beginning of 2024, the agricultural barn at Carencro High School was supposed to go up quickly and cheaply. School officials hoped to get students’ animals in by the winter, the newspaper reports.
But going to bid would add 60 days. So the project was chopped into components to move things along. Avoiding the bid process also meant the selection of a contractor would involve less scrutiny, The Current reports.
Now, as of June 22, the ag barn can’t be used. And regulators say some of the work along the way has been inferior, raising concern that the structure was unsafe for occupancy, The Current reports.
The Lafayette Parish School System facility has failed two inspections, including its electrical installment that for weeks posed a shock risk due to exposed outdoor wires, the newspaper found.
To read the story about the Carencro High barn, click here.
This past week, LPSS officials said they were turning over their findings in the first forged bid investigation to the Lafayette Police Department. To read about that, click here.
