FERRIDAY, La. — About 40 parents, school personnel and district officials attended a meeting that was held Tuesday at Ferriday Lower Elementary to get public input on the moving of pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and third grade classes.

The Concordia schools’ Curriculum Committee has recommended the district move the third grades in Vidalia and Ferriday to the upper elementaries, add pre-kindergarten classes to the lower elementaries and move kindergarten and pre-K classes in Ferriday to Ferriday Lower Elementary. The reasoning behind the plan, the committee said, is that having third-graders in upper elementaries, which now house fourth and fifth grades, would let those schools to better prepare them for the LEAP test, which they must pass as fourth-graders to move to fifth grade.

But most of the handful of teachers and former educators who spoke at Tuesday’s hearing, which lasted more than 30 minutes, wondered whether the change would really make that much of a difference in children’s test scores or the quality of their education.

&uot;What if it doesn’t work?&uot; asked Delores Thomas, a teacher at Ferriday Upper Elementary. &uot;What will be our next step then?&uot;

Fred Butcher, the district’s director of curriculum and instruction, acknowledged that it might take a decade to see major changes. But Lillian Chester, principal at Ferriday Upper, said the change should be better for students and teachers alike. &uot;I’m concerned about every fourth-grader … that may not be ready for LEAP,&uot;&160;Chester said. &uot;We have only a few months to understand students’ strengths and weaknesses and prepare them.&uot;

The Curriculum Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday to discuss input gathered at this week’s hearings. The plan must get School Board and court approval by mid-May to be in place next fall, Peterman added.