Parish school board to get resource officer

By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, June 12, 2009

VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish School Board voted Thursday to approve a contract for a school resource officer through the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The officer, Deputy Lee Ford, will be reviewed quarterly, Superintendent Loretta Blankenstein said.

School board members Darlene Baker, Fred Butcher, Ricky Raven and Deanie Roberts voted to approve the contract, while Daryl Price and Martha Rabb voted against.

The school board has employed a school resource officer since 2007.

Supervisor of Maintenance and Transportation James McGee told the school board that bids had been advertised for new roofs for Ferriday Upper Elementary and Vidalia High School, and that renovations to the cafeteria and bathrooms at Vidalia Upper Elementary have begun.

“They have the dining room pretty much gutted,” McGee said.

When President Gary Parnham asked if the work would be completed before school started, Blankenstein said it would.

“When we met with the contractors, we explained that there were definite deadlines, and one of those was because the kids would be back in school,” she said.

In other news, the school board recognized members of the local business community who recently participated in the Choices program in Concordia Parish schools.

The Choices program, a joint effort between the College and Career Transitions Partnership and the Concordia Parish Economic and Industrial District, was presented in every eighth grade English class for two days, and it advised students about things like time and money management.

“The main thing about the program was trying to get the message across to these students that from this day forward whatever choices you make may affect your life drastically,” College and Career Coordinator Cheryl Probst said. “The whole thing was built around helping the kids understand the importance of every choice they make.”

Concordia Parish Economic Director Heather Malone said response to the program has been positive.

“It seems that most everyone had a wonderful experience with the students, and everyone said they would participate with the program next year, and they would all take more than one class,” she said.