Home News-Free Bossier Schools embarks on largest construction project with new Benton High

Bossier Schools embarks on largest construction project with new Benton High

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Benton High schematic rendering (courtesy graphic)

In a matter of months, Bossier Schools is poised to break ground on its largest project to date in the 2012 construction bond program; building a new Benton High School.

After hearing Bledsoe Architects’ final design plans for the new campus, the Bossier Parish School Board gave its nod of approval to proceed with the advertising of bids, which will begin June 21, 2017. Bids will be opened July 27, 2017.

The estimated $45.5 million construction project, located at 449 Fairburn Avenue and Tiger Pride Drive in Benton, will be built on 70 acres with a projected opening date of fall 2019-20.

The new Benton High School will include 69 classrooms, two gymnasiums and initially accommodate as many as 1,450 students. It will have the ability to increase its footprint to serve a student enrollment of 1,650 when deemed necessary.

Advertisements will appear in Bossier Parish School Board’s legal journal, the Bossier Press Tribune, and on bidexpress.com. The bid award is anticipated in August and the start of construction in the fall.

The project is being made possible as the result of a $212 million construction bond program, approved in April 2012 by Bossier Parish voters to alleviate overcrowding throughout the school district due to unprecedented growth.

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Sean Green is managing editor of the Bossier Press-Tribune.

44 COMMENTS

    • Benton is way over populated as well. Our town has seen substantial growth over the last few years & They added multiple elementary schools to the benton school district but didn’t build on for when all combine back together at HS. I’m sure haughton needs expanding as well but Benton is definitely in dire need.

    • Benton is way over populated as well. Our town has seen substantial growth over the last few years & They added multiple elementary schools to the benton school district but didn’t build on for when all combine back together at HS. I’m sure haughton needs expanding as well but Benton is definitely in dire need.

    • Benton was built in 1978 with no expansion since. The school can not accommodate the students they currently enroll. The hallways 4 total are so narrow you can touch lockers from and to hand. The poor kids have to start lunch at 10:00 am to serve all students. As mentioned, the new home being built in Benton has not stopped!! The growth in our area continues. This is a much needed development and the students of Benton are deserving!! Thank you Bossier Parish tax payers and Bossier Parish School Board.

    • Benton was built in 1978 with no expansion since. The school can not accommodate the students they currently enroll. The hallways 4 total are so narrow you can touch lockers from and to hand. The poor kids have to start lunch at 10:00 am to serve all students. As mentioned, the new home being built in Benton has not stopped!! The growth in our area continues. This is a much needed development and the students of Benton are deserving!! Thank you Bossier Parish tax payers and Bossier Parish School Board.

    • I disagree about the growth of Haughton being more than Benton. The population here has more than doubled in just the last few years. The HS has 4 hallways for 9-12 grade. There is a minimum of 250 students per grade. They’ve had to add multiple T-buildings just to accommodate & they’re still elbow to elbow in the classrooms. I graduated in 98 & had 168 classmates. Even back then it was over crowded to point you couldn’t even make it to your locker between classes because of the crowds. I think the new HS is an awesome thing for Benton seeing how so many people want to move here just for the school. Haughton population as of 2016-2017 is 1,317.
      Benton is 1,948.

    • The Math and Science building was constructed while I was a teacher at HHS. It is a nice two story building. I left HHS in 2011 shortly after that building was constructed. So, Haughton High has seen expansion within the last 10 years.

    • Kristin Jenkins Murphy I was being facetious. Haughton has had a ton of construction projects over the last 10 years. So have many others. BPS predicts growth and distributes funds as best they can. We should be thankful our kids don’t have to deal with misappropriation of funds that Caddo deals with.

    • I don’t care either way about the schools, but misinformation is spread so easily. The most recent estimates show that the town of Haughton has well over 3,000 residents, whereas Benton has slightly under 2,000 residents. Not sure where the 1,317 figure came from, but Haughton has over 1,300 people in the white male demographic alone. During Haughton’s time of major growth around the 2010 Census, Benton’s population actually decreased slightly.

  1. Haughton has will be be 4 Elementary Schools , which one dates back before segregation!! Know we have 1 large middle school which holds more than HHS does. So where do these students end up?? All at HHS !!! You put 35 to 38 desk in these rooms and you can not even walk. Oh, let’s not forget that the original building (the H building) also dates bake to before segregation!! People in haughton are sick and tired of voting for things that are supposed to benefit BBS !! It doesn’t seem to be the case. I guess if we were to not vote , then no one would get anything,. 🙁

  2. Benton is busting at the seams! Just come visit a school built in the 90’s for 750 students that has close to 1100 now! Just take a look at the 14 temporary buildings in the back of it!

  3. Thank you BPSB for Haughton getting a new middle school and Benton getting a new high school! Comparing the sizes of each town isn’t really a valid point as I know Benton High services students who don’t live in the “town” of Benton as I’m sure Haughton High doesn’t only serve those students whose address is a Haughton address. Every new school built is a win for our parish regardless! There was talk of a new middle school in Benton instead of a high school, but needs were assessed and decisions were made. New schools and decisions about such are not made overnight; many people have put much thought and research into the needs of the parish. I love my Benton High and am excited about our future, and I am hopeful that all of Haughton’s needs will be met as well! Tiger Pride!

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