VIDALIA, La. &045; Kerry Laster will start Dec. 1 as Concordia Parish’s school superintendent at a base salary of $80,800 a year, following the approval of her contract Tuesday by the parish’s School Board.

Highlights of the contract, which expires Dec. 31, 2004, including an allowance of $800 per month for travel and automobile expenses, since Laster will not receive a district vehicle. She will also receive 15 paid leave days per year.

&uot;There was some give and take&uot; between her and the board in negotiating the contract, Laster said following Tuesday night’s special meeting. &uot;But I’m satisfied with it.&uot;

&uot;We sat and we talked about it, and I can live with it,&uot; board Vice President the Rev. Raymond Riley Sr. said regarding the contract.

Among other things, the new contract provides that Laster will be responsible of reminding each school board member, no later than 120 days prior to the expiration of the contract, that the contract is set to expire.

And no later than 60 days prior to expiration of the contract, the School Board must notify Laster in writing if it intends not to renew her contract &045; or the contract is immediately extended for another year.

Last week, the board had voted &045; after four months of interviews, advertisements and votes &045; to appoint Laster as the district’s new superintendent, but still had to iron out some details of her contract.

&uot;I’m ready to get all this behind me and move on,&uot; Laster said with a smile following Tuesday’s meeting.

Laster, a Ferriday High graduate who now serves as principal of Shreve Island Elementary School in Shreveport, said she will be visiting the district on and off until Dec. 1.

She said her first priority will be to meet with principals as well as personnel throughout the district to get a feeling of everyone’s expectations and needs.

She is also looking forward to getting back the district’s state accountability scores soon to see where the district excels &045; and where it needs work.

For Laster, it’s been a long road to get to this point.

At first, the board had four applicants for the position and narrowed it to three in July &045; Interim Superintendent Fred Butcher, Laster and Julius Huhn, the district’s director of federal programs.

After deadlocking twice, the board voted to readvertise for the position. After interview seven applicants, the board narrowed the field to two &045; Laster and Huhn &045; Oct. 28 and deadlocked when voting between the two. On Nov. 11, four members voted for Laster and three for Huhn, with two board members abstaining.