FERRIDAY &8212; Elections for Concordia Parish School Board seats are Saturday and opposing candidates have different views on how to improve their districts.

District 1-A

Johnnie Brown, 57, District 1-A, said the biggest problem facing his district is a lack of a well-rounded academic curriculum that would improve test scores.

&8220;Because of my past academic experiences and my love and concern for our children, if elected I will work to address both the needs of the children and the employees as well,&8221; Brown said.

A resident of Ferriday, Brown is married to Joyce Ann Brown with four children, Jahshana Brown White, 32, Johnnie Jr., 27, Jacqueline, 23, and Jeremy, 18.

He graduated with a degree in political science from Southern University in New Orleans in 1979 and is a veteran&8217;s employment interviewer at the Natchez WIN Job Center.

A former 14-year employee of the Concordia Parish School Board and former teacher at Ferriday High School, Brown said if elected he would work to increase the salaries of the parish&8217;s school employees.

&8220;I also think it&8217;s important to have the most qualified teachers working in Ferriday&8217;s schools and I would encourage former students to come back and work within the school system,&8221; Brown said.

Fred T. Butcher, 56, Ferriday, District 1-A, said the board must focus on the total academic programs for all schools in the district.

&8220;I will work with teachers, administrators, parents and other board members to improve our school district,&8221; Butcher said.

Butcher is the athletic director for the Natchez/Adams County School System and is married to Elaine Butcher.

Together they have raised their three daughters Brandy, Lisa and Sevier.

Butcher received a master&8217;s degree in school administration in 1976 from Tuskegee University in Alabama and spent 35 years in the Concordia Parish school system working a variety of jobs such as supervisor, teacher, administrator, bus driver and director of academics. He left his most recent post as director of academics two months ago.

Last year, the three Ferriday schools received failing marks from the state.

Butcher said he has several ideas to remedy this issue.

&8220;First of all, I would work with the principals of each school to make sure we find the best certified teachers for the classrooms,&8221; Butcher said. &8220;Second I would make sure they all have the necessary text books and supplies they need.

&8220;I would also like to see the board follow its policies that they set back in March that the lower performing schools be staffed first,&8221; Butcher said.

Butcher also said, if elected, he would like to employ instructional facilitators, one to work kindergarten through sixth-grade and another for seventh through 12th, to assist the principals and teachers.

Butcher said, if elected, he would also dedicate $125 of his monthly school board salary to FHS to set up a scholarship trust fund that would be awarded yearly.

He also said he would donate $50 out of his salary that would rotate on a six-week basis to the two other Ferriday schools.

&8220;These would be offered as incentives for improved student achievements,&8221; Butcher said.

Margie Hines, 43, District 1-A, said she is running to bring parental and

community representation to the school board.

&8220;It takes more than board representation to assist our children in their academic futures,&8221; Hines said. &8220;It takes all of us.&8221;

Hines, 47, graduated from Grambling State University in 1986 with a degree in information systems and is the program developer for Macon Ridge Economic Development Region Resource Center in Ferriday.

She is the mother of Nyles Jimmar Walker, 12, and Serenity Marge-Hines, 5,

Hines said she thinks the biggest need in her district is for the board to find some other strength in the children such as art, culinary arts and swimming and provide opportunities for children to use these strengths.

&8220;It&8217;s not as if this is not being done, but maybe its not being done enough,&8221; Hines said.

If elected, Hines said she would encourage parents to utilize and assist the parish Parent Center.

Hines said this would help get children excited about school.

In regards to Ferriday&8217;s test scores, Hines said she feels the board is already making great strides in that aspect.

&8220;I think children should be tested throughout the school year instead of tested only once at the end,&8221; Hines said. &8220;This would set the children at ease.&8221;

Hines also said she would like to introduce the criteria for school testing throughout the year and that the board should look at the weak points in terms of the scoring and hire someone to focus on those points during an after-school program.

The fourth candidate for District 1-A, Melanie R. Watson, of Ferriday, could not be reached for comment.

District 4-A

Mary Ellan White, 55, District 4-A, is a retired American History teacher from Ferriday Junior High, and said she is very concerned about education in her community and wants to make sure her system gets the materials they need so that children of the district will be educated to the highest level.

&8220;I don&8217;t feel my opponent feels this way so I&8217;m going to use my voice to bring our home and schools together to work for the betterment of our children and therefore our future,&8221; White said.

White graduated from Grambling State University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree and is the mother of James Jones, 39 and Demarcus White, 26.

White said if elected she would work to get the children of her district the best resources, such as a new science lab, so that children will continue to meet the standard that is so necessary for her community.

White&8217;s opponent, Ricky Lee Raven Sr. disagrees with her comments and said he has been working with the board to improve his district&8217;s older school buildings to provide teachers and students a better place to learn.

&8220;The reason I think I&8217;m right for this job is because I have a good working relationship with the board and the school employees,&8221; Raven said.

District 4-B

District 4-B opponents Bettie Jean Johnson and Daryle W. Price of Ferriday could not be reached for comments.

Other candidates running unopposed include Mary H. Campbell, Clayton, District 1-B, Raymond T. Riley, Vidalia, District 2, Gary Parnham, Vidalia, District 3-A, Martha J. Rabb, Ferriday, District 5-A and Darlene Baker, Monterey, District 5-A.