VIDALIA &045;&045; The U.S. Department of Justice has approved new Concordia Parish School Board lines.

And it appears the school board election will take place in March, said Clerk of Court Clyde Ray Webber.

&uot;The law says that it (the school board election) must be held during the next regularly scheduled election, which is March 9,&uot; Webber said.

The school board received word earlier this week of the DOJ approval.

The school board election set for last fall was delayed due to delays in drawing the lines and getting them approved.

District lines must be redrawn after each Census all districts contain nearly the same number of people.

The four-year terms of current board members were set to expire in December 2002.

As a result, board members elected in March will only serve through December 2006.

Other local elections set for March 9 include mayor and aldermen positions in Ferriday and the offices of mayor, aldermen and police chief in Vidalia and Clayton.

Qualifying for the positions will take place Jan. 28-30.

according to Webber.