Exposed cables at Carencro High collect security, questions for LPSS

Highlights

• The agricultural barn of the Carencro High School was missing two security inspections, including exposed electrical cables, which were the pupils of electrical risks
• The Lafayette Parish School system surrounded the required tender procedure for accelerating the construction, which led to security violations and project delays
• The electrical work was completed without proper permits, which caused the construction code inspectors to reject the installation in May
• The project of 210,000 US dollars remained unusable in June 2025 despite plans to accommodate student animals by winter 2025.
• LPSS claims a legal approval for project splitting practices, but refuses to deliver documentation

The decision of the Lafayette Parish School Systems to circumvent the tender requirements led to electrical dangers, failed inspections and a delayed completion of the student institution

Carencro, la. (Kpel News) – A new agricultural barn at the Carencro High School remained in June 2025, months after its planned winter financial statements, due to serious security breaches that would have to electrical information for the building inspectors.

According to an investigation of the current study of the experiment of the Lafayette Parish School System, the project quickly followed by the public tendering process back in order to create both security risks and considerable delays.

Electrical work represents Carencro students “serious risk”

Rodney “Cooney” Richard in the building code discovered dangerous electrical conditions during an unscheduled inspection of the Carencro High Facility. Line -out outer cable and not properly installed electrical panels generated what Richard described as an immediate safety threat.

“Technically speaking, it is really not certain. A child could go out there and become electrical,” Richard from Baukoden inspection services told the investigators. His company contracts with about two dozen communities in all of Louisiana to ensure the security standards of the construction work.

The electrical dangers consisted of the work, which were completed by Chris' electrical services of Lafayette without the necessary permits. The contractor connected new electrical systems to an existing panel box that is connected to a damaged power supply moles, so that the circuit breakers and cabling were exposed to where the students could easily access it.

Richard's inspection showed that a protective coverage had been removed and that lay on the floor and that all electrical components had been exposed. The rusty outer plate was connected to a tendency mole from which the inspectors were structurally inappropriate.

Lafayette Parish Schools have bypassed the security requirements

The security violations corresponded to the decision of the LPSS administrators to divide the agricultural barn project into separate components in order to avoid the public tender requirements in Louisiana. The project began to plan the project in early 2024, whereby the administrators hope that this approach would save time and money for the establishment of 210,000 US dollars that was planned to accommodate student animals until 2025.

The metal building in Scott, based in Scott, won the main building contract with an offer of $ 38,000, which is among the competitors. However, essential components such as electrical work were excluded from the original project specifications, which led to separate agreements that lacked the right supervision.

Chris' electrical services completed the electrical installation as a donation in kind worth $ 18,000, without receiving the necessary permits from the city of Carencro. This permissible work created the dangerous conditions that the inspectors later discovered.

Several inspection errors delay the barn opening

The Carecro Agricultural Barn had failed two separate inspections by the summer of 2025. In addition to the electrical dangers, the building inspectors rejected overhead doors planned that had not met the demands on the wind load of Louisiana.

After the inspection on May 13, both the metal buildings of Bergeron and the electrical services of Chris hired the necessary permits on May 21. Chris' Electrical agreed to replace the damaged supply rod and Panel box at an additional price of $ 3,530, although the company expects payment for this correction work.

Attorney Emile Joseph of Allen & Gooch, who represented Chris' Electrical, suggested that someone manipulated the electrical body between inspection. However, the building inspector Richard confirmed that security violations exist regardless of potential manipulations.

Construction problems reflect broader LPSS problems

The problems of Carencro Barn were the latest in a series of construction and procurement controversy that affect the Lafayette Parish schools. LPSS had the testing of the project management procedures, including allegations of fake contractor quotes and inadequate diligence in important construction projects.

Read more about the LPSS -BID scandal

School system officers claim that their project splitting practices have legal approval and help to complete projects that have been delayed for years. However, when the investigators applied for a documentation of these legal guidelines, LPSS rejected the provision of the communications, citing law firms and privileges.

The system also claimed that the examiners approved change orders for the Carencro Barn project, but did not create any records that support this claim.

Students still without agricultural institution

From June 2025, the students of the Carecro High School remained without access to the agricultural barn, which was to be completed. In the system, not only secure electrical systems were missing, but also the basic infrastructure, including sanitary and waste management systems that are required for apartment students.

The delays had interrupted the agricultural educational programs and prevented the students prevented from taking care of animal projects that were of central importance for their course. The school officers had not given a schedule for the use of the facility for the use of students.

Parents and parishioners continued to ask questions about LPSS construction practices and whether similar security issues in other school institutions were present in the entire municipality of Lafayette.