FERRIDAY &045; Experience versus youth &045; that is the case in the runoff for the District 1, Place A school board race.

The longest tenured member of the school board, Johnnie Brown, a 13-year member, faces 23-year-old challenger Melanie Watson who wants to bring new ideas to the board.

Watson, a Ferriday High graduate, said she is running for the school board to give back to the school system she was raised in.

Watson said the role of a school board

member is to give back to the community. Board members need to be honest and fair, &uot;and I stress being very consistent,&uot; she said.

Watson said she has to start somewhere and even though she is young, she wants to start now giving back to the community.

&uot;I want the community to give me the opportunity to give what I learned,&uot; Watson said.

&uot;I have to start somewhere. I just want to take that chance in doing it. I just want to start now.&uot;

Brown, on the other hand, is running on his experience as a board member.

&uot;After 13 years of dedication to the Concordia Parish school system, I want to continue the direction and vision that has been given me for the school system,&uot; Brown said.

Brown said the role of a school board member is to set policy and direction for the school system.

Brown said he wants to use his experience to take the district to the next level.

&uot;I’ve been able to address some issues very faithfully through the system for the benefit of employees and children,&uot; Brown said.

Watson said, if elected, she wants to concentrate on increasing parental involvement in the schools.

&uot;Our parents are our role models,&uot; Watson said. Parents are important because of the amount of influence they have on their children, she said.

&uot;If the parents are involved, maybe the kids will be more involved,&uot; Watson said.

Other issues Watson said are important for the school board to address are improving reading skills of the students, reducing truancy, increasing technology and getting the community involved in the school system.

Brown said he wants to focus on academics, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

&uot;I want to address the academic areas to make sure that through our effortsŠ&uot; the board, superintendent, administrators and employees &uot;we provide everything for the children&uot; to put them at the state average or above.

Brown said other important issues include vocational education for students that do not plan to go to college, salaries for employees and contract renewal for the superintendent, which will come up for the new board because only a limited contract was signed due to the new board taking office.