VIDALIA, La. &045; Financial growth over several years at the district level will soon show up in the paychecks of the Concordia Parish School District’s employees.

The school board approved a recommendation from the business office Tuesday night to give raises to certified and non-certified personnel. Certified employees will receive a 2.5 percent of their base salary increase and non-certified employees will get 5 percent of their base salaries.

Director of business affairs Tom O’Neal said the district had the money to give due to several factors, including student population growth.

&uot;The funding of these raises has nothing to do with the tax increase,&uot; O’Neal said. &uot;And the capital outlay program will not be affected.&uot;

The board also changed the salary schedule of non-certified employees from 20 to 25. Previously non-certified employees were not eligible for a raise after their 20th year, they can now continue to increase their salary up to the 25th year.

To coincide with state rates, the district will increase mileage rates from .28 cents a mile to .34 cents. A new board policy will increase the rate as the state increases theirs.

In addition to the changes in salary amounts, all parish employees will soon have their paychecks direct deposited into a bank of their choice.

The board voted to switch to the electronic system after a presentation from Concordia and Delta Bank leaders. Currently, paychecks go out on Fridays to the school principals who are responsible for handing out the checks to employees. This system often creates a flood to the banks when school lets out and can result in lost or stolen checks, Concordia Bank’s Pat Biglane said.

With direct deposit, much of the paperwork will be eliminated and the money will be accessible the instant the school files the deposit.

For employees without bank accounts, the two banks are offering an electronic access account.

The account will be free of charge and will make it possible for employees to receive their checks, partially or entirely, from an ATM machine.

Both banks volunteered to explain the procedure to any and all employees who had concerns.

Direct deposit will not fully go into effect until after a practice run and the installation of an ATM in Monterey are complete.

In other business, a motion to schedule a public hearing to discuss board member compensation failed three to six, with board members Martha Rabb, Raymond Riley and Jerry Roberts voting in favor of the meeting. Before the board can change their compensation they must hold a public hearing.

4The board rejected a bid for $3,500 to lease the district’s 16th section land for agricultural use. Rabb pointed out that the board was guaranteed $4,110 from the USDA if they did nothing with the land. If the land was leased the $4,110 would go to the person who leases it.

Board members passed a motion to re-advertise for bids on the land. They also discussed the possibility of leasing it for hunting or timber farming. Previous boards opposed both options, mainly for liability reasons, O’Neal said.

Rabb said she was in favor of either, or both, options because of the money it would bring to the district.

The board asked O’Neal to check into all the options and did not take any further action on the mattes.

&uot;I am not in favor of this board getting in the hunting club business,&uot; board President Lynn White said.

4Carey Cook, president of the Ferriday High School Athletic Association, approached the board regarding the employment of the FHS football coach. The board discussed the situation at a previous meeting in executive session. Cook said that a number of FHS employees, supporters and students were concerned about Coach James McFarland’s performance. The board took no action on the matter, saying it was the superintendent’s job to review performance of employees.

4The board set a May 1 deadline for all school bus drivers to take a new state test required for them to maintain their license. Drivers who do not pass the test will no drive.