Don’t hold your breath for new superintendent

Published 12:00 am Friday, December 5, 2003

Planning to attend the next meeting of the Concordia Parish School Board? Pack your jammies.

School board members have pledged &045; after three meetings in which they deadlocked on a decision &045; to choose a new superintendent at the next meeting, scheduled for Nov. 11.

That means they have to make a decision whether it takes them all night.

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Judging from the last few meetings, that might be the case.

School board members have already readvertised for the position, which was last held by the late Lester &uot;Pete&uot; Peterman. Interim superintendent Fred T. Butcher has been a candidate for the position, but on Tuesday night the field of seven applicants was narrowed to two: Kerry Laster of Shreveport and Julius Huhn, director of federal programs for the district.

We understand that school board members want to pick the best candidate, but their indecision is becoming a joke, so much so that board member Darrell Crofford really did advise folks to bring their supper or their toothbrushes to the next meeting.

Ironically, this board wasn’t even supposed to be the group to choose the next superintendent. Had elections happened on schedule &045; if new school district lines had been approved &045; we might have had some new faces on the board.

As it is, this board will choose a new superintendent, and then elections for the new school board will be held in the spring.

While that delay certainly isn’t the fault of this board, the current delay in making a decision is.

At least they have backed themselves into a corner at their next meeting. But we’re still not holding our breath.