The number one challenge for the state’s school districts was the number one topic of discussion for the Concordia Parish School Board Thursday — how do you attract and keep certified teachers?

“No question about it. Our biggest challenge is recruiting and retaining certified teachers,” Concordia School District Superintendent Kerry Laster said.

In a recent report by the State Department of Education, Concordia School scored below the state in the area of certified teachers.

“We are still in a crisis like all districts,” Laster said.

In particular, board member Fred Butcher expressed concern about certified teachers leaving lower performing schools to other schools in the district.

“We have fewer certified teachers in our lower performing schools,” Buthcer said. “We have had problems with teachers in the Ferriday school being transferred out. I don’t want to lose any certified teacher I can get.”

Butcher recommended the best way to prevent this problem was to reinstitute a policy that was in place last year preventing any certified teachers from transferring out of Ferriday schools. Butcher wanted to reinstitute the policy for two years.

The policy which expired at the end of the school year was passed in response to low performance scores in the district.

“I want to make sure that lower performing schools get the best possible staff,” Butcher said.

The current policy leaves it to the prinicipals of each school to decide whether teachers can transfer.

Board member Gary Parnham Sr. said that there was no need to reinstitute the policy.

“I think we should keep policy as it is. It’s in place. The principals are there. They can say no,” Parnham said.

Board member Mary Campbell expressed concern that one of the reasons that schools might not perform well is because of instability in faculty.

“This problem has been happening for years,” Campbell said.

School district Personnel Coordinator Ann Sandidge said of the teachers who have asked to be transferred so far this year none have asked because of the school or the students.

“They are not leaving because of the school. There are other reasons, Sandidge said.

Those reasons include wanting to teach closer to home or because of ill family members, Sandidge said.

“If we don’t let them transfer we are going to lose them to another district,” Sandidge told the board.

Board member Ricky Raven agreed.

“I don’t think you can blankly say we are going to make people stay,” he said. “We want our employees to be happy. We try to do the best job at keeping people in key positions.”

After the discussion a motion was passed to keep the policy as is. Butcher cast the only no vote.

In other business:

4The board passed a proposal for this year’s summer school. Under the proposal, summer school will be offered four days a week, from Monday through Thursday. The length of each school day will be the same as a school day during the regular school year.

Board member Butcher, who cast the only no vote, expressed concerns over whether students would stay in school during a seven hour day.

“I think we are asking a lot to ask a kid to go seven hours a day four days a week,” Butcher said. “It already is a challenge to get parents to motivate students during summer school.”

Summer school for students from other schools, who do not reside in Concordia Parish, will be charged an additional fee of $100.

4The board passed a motion naming the new Vidalia High School field house for former board member Jerry Roberts.

Roberts was killed in a plane crash near Waco, Texas, last year.