Marcus Williams has a vision for Baton Rouge schools.
He pictures facilities with natural light streaming in from large windows and spacious inviting classrooms. He envisions schools in all parts of the community where students of all ages have access to modern buildings catering to their educational needs.
As a licensed architect and program director of CSRS | Tillage’s East Baton Rouge Parish School System program, Williams is making that vision a reality.
In 1999, the school board passed a sales tax referendum to fund a district-wide facility and technology improvement program for parish schools. To manage the ongoing program, the school district chose CSRS and Tillage Construction.
Since joining CSRS in 2017, Williams has directed the renovations and additions to schools like Baton Rouge Magnet High School and Lee Magnet High School. He also oversees repair budgets and grants for schools affected by the August 2016 flood.
“I love going to schools on the first day,” Williams says. “That is the best thing … when the kids first see it. When their eyes light up, you’ll know you impacted somebody.”
For him, the job is more than building new facilities. It is about creating spaces for students and faculty to be proud of and thrive.
Williams is a Baton Rouge native. And long before he graduated from LSU in architecture, he was a student at Mayfair Lab School—one of the schools he will be rebuilding in 2019. “It’s going to be great to finally get a new school in the neighborhood where I grew up,” he says. “When I got there at 5, it was already 20 years old. I’m 36 now. It’s time.” csrsinc.com
“These schools should not be cells and bells. They should be inviting, collaborative and open. They should have as much natural lighting as we can fit. They should allow for learning abroad using the technology that you need, because that’s how kids learn today. At the end of this, [the East Baton Rouge Parish School System] will have a 21st century high school, middle and elementary. I don’t know any other district anywhere around that has that kind of deal. Some kids would’ve had a better opportunity if they had that kind of environment to learn in. You want every kid to have the opportunity to have a quality education.”
This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.
