VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish School Board voted Thursday under protest to pay $254,000 in employee retirement.

The vote at the board’s regular meeting means the school board will pay the money to retired employees, but reserve the right to litigation against the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System if other school boards are successful in similar suits.

State law requires that school districts pay unfunded accrued liability for an employee that retires or resigns.

Unfunded accrued liability is the gap between what retirement plans have on-hand to pay future benefits versus what they have promised to pay.

In Concordia Parish, the board is paying $254,000 for five retired employees and one who died.

Superintendent Paul Nelson said he believes the state should foot the bill for unfunded accrued liability.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the school board made several changes to its uniform policy.

Previously students were only allowed to wear white socks. The school board voted to allow students to wear black socks, too.

The board also voted to specify that students must wear a “true belt,” rather than a scarf or piece of fabric.

They also voted to allow students to wear school-related hoodies.