VIDALIA — After swearing in four new board members Thursday evening, the Concordia Parish School Board kicked off its first meeting of the year 2019 by recognizing the teachers and principals of the year throughout the parish.

New board members for the year 2019 include Dorothy Parker in District 1B, Derrick Carson in District 4A, Lisette Forman in District 3B and Angela Hayes in District 4B.

Returning officers include Warren Enterkin in District 5A, Fred Butcher in District 1A, Raymond T. Riley Sr. in District 2, John Bostic in District 5B and Ricky Raven in District 3A.

The board also re-elected Riley to be the board president and elected John Bostic to be the new board vice president in place of the former District 3B board member Cheryl Probst, who did not seek reelection to the school board.

Once the board members were sworn-in, Superintendent Whest Shirley introduced each of the teachers and principals of the year, who were divided into elementary, middle and high school categories.

“On behalf of myself and the CPSB, this is one of our favorite recognitions,” Shirley said. “These awards are special because they weren’t chosen by me or the board. They were chosen by your peers — fellow teachers, principals and assistant principals.”

The teachers of the 2019 school year for Concordia Parish are Amber Passman and Tanner Parker, both of Monterey High School, and Fabienne Bennett of Ferriday High School.

The principals of the year are Betty Marsalis of Ferriday Upper Elementary School, Nancy Anders of Concordia Parish Academy and Dena Hale of Monterey High School.

Shirley said each of the teachers and principals named has the option to advance to a regional and state level competition for teacher and principal of the year.

In other matters during the first regularly scheduled meeting of the Concordia Parish School Board for the year 2019, with Enterkin absent, the board:

• Approved the financial report for the month of December, which included expenditures in the amount of $5,581,705 by a vote of 7-1, with board member Derrick Carson voting “no” because later expenditures had not been added to the report.
• Tabled approval of the second reading of a policy regarding the dismissal of employees until the board could consider revising its current policy so that it would require at least a two weeks’ notice before a resignation. The motion by board member Fred Butcher to table the issue passed 8-0.
• Approved on a 7-0 vote the second reading of a policy regarding employee discipline, with Carson abstaining because he was not present for the first policy reading.
• Approved the first reading of policies regarding tax and bond elections and sales and purchasing on a vote of 8-0.
• Moved the dates of the next two meetings to Feb. 12 and Feb. 21 so the board would not meet on Valentine’s Day.