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On Thursday, January 26, 2024, members of the Bayou Community Academy officially “broke ground” on their new school!
Even in the face of relentless rain, Bayou Community Academy families braved the storms to gather at the Warren J. Harang Auditorium in Thibodaux, where members of the board were able to symbolically begin the building process of the 70,000 square foot building.
“I am honored and privileged to stand up here today as we make BCA history,” said Dr. Melanie Becnel, CEO of BCA. ” I can speak on behalf of everyone who has every had anything to do with BCA– if you keep the reason for what you are doing in the forefront, the details will work themselves out. Today, rain or shine, we will celebrate our new school.”
Becnel explained the journey that BCA has been on since its inception in 2011– BCA is currently operating at full capacity with 492 students PreK-8th grade, with 200 students on the waiting list. BCA is also ranked within the top 3% in the state of Louisiana for LEAP testing scores. “We have created a safe and orderly environment where children come to learn, and learn to serve,” said Becnel. “It has been our dream since 2011 to have our own building, and today we take the first step.”
The new BCA building has been designed by Duplantis Design Group (DDG) in Thibodaux. “The first step in the design process was to complete a new comprehensive building program– it is a result of tours and analysis of existing facilities, information gathered by BCA, and interviews with BCA executive committees, staff, and scholars,” reads an official write up on DDG’s website. “DDG’s civil and architecture team, with assistance from Multi-Studio, completed a comprehensive building program and design for Bayou Community Academy’s new school campus located on North Canal Boulevard in Thibodaux.The new campus includes over 20 new classrooms, a cafetorium, high school regulation size gymnasium, administration suite, library, and multiple lab spaces.”
DDG will continue to manage the project as it moves into construction in the next couple of months. DDG is assisting BCA with bidding and contracts, and construction administration through the completion of the campus. The construction cost is $20 million. This project is estimated to be completed in 2025.
For more information, please visit the Bayou Community Academy Facebook page.
