VIDALIA — When statewide school accountability results were released earlier this week for the 2006-2007 academic school year, no Concordia Parish schools were considered “academically unacceptable.”

After the 2005-2006 school year, Ferriday Junior High School was considered by the state to be academically unacceptable.

Superintendent Kerry Laster attributed the turnaround to determination at the school level.

“It was a lot of hard work from principals, teachers and staff,” she said. “The children did their best when it came to [statewide accountability] tests.”

Schools labeled academically unacceptable must offer school choice, an alternative school district students who are in the unacceptable district may attend.

“We are very pleased and will continue to work toward more growth,” she said. “We will not have to offer school choice for the 2007-2008 school year.”

“There are a lot of parishes in this area that would be proud to be able to say that,” she said.

Students who started out in a school choice school will be allowed to complete the years required at that location.

Once they finish at that school, students will be required to return to a school in their district.

For example, if a student transferred to a school choice school from Ferriday Junior High, they would have to attend Ferriday High School once they finished the eighth grade, Laster said.

Ferriday Junior High School officials could not be reached for comment.