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VIDALIA, La. —  Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft is opposed to plans to reorganize the Concordia Parish schools, and he’s urging residents to join his opposition.

This week, the Concordia Parish School Board released a consent order handed down from the U.S. District Court that proposes redrawing school boundary lines to change where high school students attend school and consolidate elementary schools. The proposed changes set new boundaries for existing high schools, with consolidation for elementary and middle school grades. Students enrolled in kindergarten through second grade would attend Vidalia Upper Elementary. Students enrolled in third through fifth grade would attend Ferriday Upper Elementary. Students enrolled in sixth through eighth grade would attend Ferriday Junior High.

The purpose of the proposal, which the school board must vote on by Dec. 31, is to move the 1965 desegregation lawsuit against the school board toward dismissal.

In a livestream on his social media page Friday, Craft asked residents to contact the school board and tell members to “vote no” on the proposal and to “go to trial” with it if they have to.

“I’m very much against what’s proposed right now,” Craft said, explaining that the sense of pride that most people have in their schools could dissipate and cause people to leave.

He also cited other issues he felt the school reorganization would cause, such as increasing transportation costs for the school system and families and causing congestion in classrooms.

“I know Vidalia doesn’t want this. The Town of Ferriday doesn’t want this at all. They love their independence. They love their community. They don’t want this either. … Monterey doesn’t want it … nobody really wants it. So why can’t we stand together?” he said.

Craft also questioned what happened to dig up the nearly 60-year-old desegregation case to begin with.

“I got some questions and I hope to get those answered,” he said. “Why, after 60 years, are we bringing up a 1965 segregation case to hang this on? It has been 60 years that this has been out there and now it’s thrust into ‘this has got to be taken care of now.’ Why? Why is it such an important thing now to go back and change up something that’s worked for 60 years for our community and for our school system. … Is it money? … Is it test scores? Those are questions that I hope to get answered pretty quickly.”

Craft encouraged residents to attend the public forum on this issue at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Vidalia Convention Center, both to receive information and to let their opposition to it be heard.

“There is nothing more serious to us than our kids and their education … so let’s get together. Say no to this, because no one in the parish wants it,” Craft said. “Let’s all stand together and push our school boards to say no. And if this has got to go to trial, let’s take our chances at trial. Because if we don’t, if you vote to go ahead and support it, it’s a done deal.”