The new high school located north of Lacombe still has no name.

Brendan McCurley, principal of the new school, had mailed letters to the school’s students asking for suggestions for the school’s name, mascot and colors. McCurley’s report to the school board Committee as a Whole meeting Tuesday night included some of the names the students have submitted and an explanation of why the names are being rejected. Suggestions such as Monteleone High and Pontchartrain High have been rejected because students from schools other than those in the name will be attending the new school and the name of the school should be inclusive of all students attending.

To accomplish his goal, McCurley will visit the affected feeder schools and explain the mascot and naming process in more detail. “We want all students to feel ownership of this new school, not just students from one feeder school,” he said. Suggestions will be taken again from the students and then the community will be invited to give comments when the suggestions are narrowed to two of each.

Construction on the yet-unnamed new high school on Louisiana Highway 1088 is '��substantially complete'�� as administrators have moved in to prepare for students in August. The school cost $ 37.2 million and was the subject of a series of sometimes heated redistricting hearings last fall. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)

Also, suggestions for mascots included some already in use by other schools and McCurley would like students to help define the new identity of the school with a distinctive mascot of their own.

McCurley said he is planning an open house at the school at the end of January for parents and students that will be attending the new school.

In a related matter, the committee approved a recommendation accepting the new high school as substantially complete subject to the architect’s recommendations, completion of the punch list, submission of all regulatory requirements and approval of Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

The recommendation will now be considered by the school board at their regular meeting.

School Board member Michael Dirmann said the new school is beautiful, and McCurley and the students are fortunate to be going to the facility.

School Board member Elizabeh Heintz added that the new school’s faculty and students are fortunate to have McCurley as their initial principal.

In other matters, the committee made the following recommendations for the school board to consider at their regular meeting:

• Acceptance of the low bid submitted by Advanced Quality Construction, Inc. of $481,860 for the access road to the new kindergarten-first grade school in Mandeville;

• Acceptance of the low bid submitted by Comark Building Systems of $225,917 for two new portable buildings at Madisonville Elementary that will house four classrooms;

• And authorization was granted to Sloan and/or School Board President John Lamarque to purchase Lot 12, Alamosa Park, Phase 1-B, currently being leased by the school system for the transportation department’s use, at a cost of $995,000.

The monthly reports for construction, maintenance and custodial, risk management, transportation and purchasing were all accepted.