VIDALIA, La. &045; A little number crunching and a quick decision Tuesday night wiped away one of the major concerns about the new comprehensive curriculum.

The curriculum’s outlined, hands-on activities need supplies &045; supplies Concordia Parish teachers don’t have.

So while Academic Affairs Director Fred Butcher was presenting the problem and a possible solution to the school board, Business Manager Tom O’Neal was playing with some numbers.

The end result was the approval of using $60,000 of budget money this year to buy what’s needed.

First priority will be graphing calculators for all the junior highs and high schools and maps and globes district-wide.

Since the curriculum will be implemented when school starts Thursday, the district aims to purchase the materials as soon as possible, Butcher said.

Originally, Butcher proposed cutting the $100 classroom spending money each teacher gets to $50 and pooling the other $50 at the district level to buy the supplies.

Prioritized supplies could be bought over a three-year period with the pooled money, Butcher said.

Most board members said they were strongly opposed to cutting that spending money, because teachers were already forced to dip into their own pockets for things like staples and tape.

O’Neal said he felt the money was in the budget with a little rearranging.

&045; Julie Finley