# St. Martin Parish Schools Finance and Regular School Board Meeting November 4, 2026

At the November 4, 2026 St. Martin Parish Schools Finance and Regular School Board Meeting, the board heard HVAC service presentations from longtime provider Southwest Mechanical and Star Services. Southwest reported an average annual cost of about $572,000 for its services over the past three years, plus roughly $164,000 annually in equipment purchased directly by the school system—about $737,000 combined. Star Services proposed a fixed-cost, turnkey preventive-maintenance and repair/replacement program for six schools at approximately $600,000, claiming about $322,000 in avoided capital costs. Board members discussed recurring equipment problems, the district’s limited in-house HVAC staffing, and whether the work should be competitively bid. Star Services argued that its program could be treated as a professional-services contract; board members requested a fair opportunity for comparison and the vendor offered supporting materials for legal review. The board passed a motion to proceed with the six-school pilot program; the transcript does not establish that a final contract was executed.

The board also discussed budget cuts intended to address an approximately $600,000 budget shortfall and requested recommendations for the December meeting. No specific cuts or related purchasing decisions were identified in the transcript.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** November 04, 2026

### Sources
- [St. Martin Parish Schools Finance and Regular School Board Meeting November 4, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5O0iAvPvm8) - St. Martin Parish Schools Public