Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana - Voters in Calcasieu Parish School Board District 25 are scheduled to decide May 16, 2026, whether to approve a bond proposal tied to campus projects at Iowa High School, Iowa Middle School, J.I. Watson Elementary, and LeBleu Settlement Elementary.
The measure would affect schools in Iowa and LeBleu, with planned work ranging from security upgrades and classroom additions to campus circulation improvements, athletic facilities, and heating and cooling replacements. A bond issue is a public financing measure that allows a government body, such as a school system, to borrow money for major capital projects and repay it over time.
According to the proposal information provided for District 25, the bond would directly impact Iowa High School, J.I. Watson Elementary, LeBleu Settlement Elementary, and the surrounding community.
At Iowa High School, the proposal includes a new canopy walkway from the parking lot to the school’s main entrance, along with another covered connection to Iowa Middle School. Planned courtyard work includes covering, surfacing, and drainage improvements. Other listed projects include gymnasium ceiling valence renovations, repurposing the stage into seating and storage, painting the school exterior to coordinate with the middle school, and renovating the administrative office with a conference room addition.
The Iowa High School list also includes adding an elevator to the second story, renovating the main hall, upgrading corridor door security, replacing the agriculture shop roof, resurfacing stairs, and expanding the security camera program.
For Iowa Middle School, the proposal calls for two new eight-classroom pods to be shared with Iowa High School, an expanded band room, a new covered walkway connecting to the high school, and a security camera program.
Athletics projects connected to Iowa High School are also part of the proposal. Those include a new weight room and athletic fieldhouse with restrooms, a new concession stand and restrooms at the baseball and softball fields, and a new batter’s eye at the fields. A batter’s eye is a solid visual background beyond the field that helps batters see pitches more clearly.
At J.I. Watson Elementary, the bond proposal outlines one of the larger campus improvement packages in District 25. The plan would connect campus elements to create complete interior circulation, meaning students and staff could move through the campus more fully within connected building areas. The project is described as a significant building addition and renovation effort.
That work at J.I. Watson would also include new staff professional development areas, new staff workrooms in grade-level areas, new dedicated staff restrooms, and a new adaptive physical education room. Adaptive P.E. generally refers to physical education spaces designed to support students with specialized needs.
Additional projects listed for J.I. Watson include a new administrative front office and entrance on South Kinney Avenue, a new administrative parking area adjacent to the school, interior and exterior painting, HVAC upgrades across campus, electrical upgrades throughout the site, and water fountain additions with bottle filler improvements.
The proposal also includes gym locker room renovations, a new media room at the library and finish renovations, a new campus intercom, a digital sign at the road, and seven additional security cameras.
At LeBleu Settlement Elementary, the bond proposal includes new playground equipment with rubberized surfacing and a water fountain, a new digital sign at the road, a new pickup stacking yard and parking lot, HVAC replacements, privacy shading at cafeteria windows, and controlled access at lobby doors.
If approved by voters, the District 25 bond would fund a broad mix of infrastructure, safety, academic, and campus access projects. Security-related work appears across multiple campuses through camera programs, corridor door upgrades, and lobby access controls. Facilities work also targets school operations, including HVAC systems, electrical improvements, roofing, drainage, and circulation between campus buildings.
The proposal further reflects different needs at each campus. In Iowa, the listed work emphasizes connectivity between the high school and middle school, additions to academic and extracurricular spaces, and improvements to athletics facilities. At J.I. Watson Elementary, the focus includes campus layout, staff support spaces, building systems, and front-office access. At LeBleu Settlement Elementary, the proposal centers on student amenities, traffic flow, and building comfort and security.