The Iberia Parish School Board is ramping up for a $62 million bond renewal to be decided on by the voters on April 29.

Superintendent of Schools Heath Hulin said at Tuesday’s New Iberia City Council meeting that the bond has been renewed by voters for decades and will provide for crucial projects in the school district for the future of the system.

One of the biggest projects will include the $19 million relocation of Anderson Middle School. Hulin said the project will turn the school into a state-of-the-art middle school campus for New Iberia’s West End and will be located at the current site of Sugarland Elementary.

Hulin said the relocation was largely due to rise in violence in the area surrounding the school.

“It’s no secret that there’s rising crime and violence in our city and especially in the neighborhood that surrounds Anderson,” Hulin said. “Anderson is very close to the streets and every one of those streets have high violence that’s getting closer to our doors.”

Hulin said the proposed plan would be to close Sugarland Elementary and disperse the students currently attending to surrounding elementary schools which would be able to take in the increase.

The former Sugarland will then be converted into a state-of-the-art middle school.

“I think this is the best route for us,” Hulin said. “When we finish, we’re going to have a facility they won’t recognize.”

Other projects tied to the bond renewal include roof replacements for Belle Place Middle School and an expansion of the cafeteria of Loreauville High School.

Facility upgrades for the indoor athletic facilities at the high schools in the district will also be conducted, including the refurbishment of gym floors and the installation of new bleachers.

The expansion of the Iberia Parish Career Center to include more programs is projected to cost $14 million and tied to the bond, and vast technology upgrades for security and also Chromebooks and networking are included as well.