VIDALIA — Three educators have applied for the position of Concordia Parish superintendent.

The board stopped accepting applications Dec. 18.

The three applicants are acting superintendent Loretta Blankenstein, Linda D’Amico, of Morganza and Jerry Payne, of Pine Grove.

When she was appointed acting superintendent, Blankenstein was taking a sabbatical as principal of Ferriday Lower Elementary School.

D’Amico is employed by the Pointe Coupee school system as director of instruction, supervisor of federal programs, adult, careers, technical, and secondary education. Payne is the superintendent of the Bogalusa City Schools.

Though they do not yet have a timeline for interviewing and hiring the new superintendent, the board will take the matter up after the holidays, President Gary Parnham said.

The board began the search for a new superintendent after they bought out former Superintendent Kerry Laster’s contract in November. They had voted in September not to renew her contract, which was set to expire Dec. 31.

Blankenstein was appointed acting superintendent Nov. 12.

Minimum requirements for a superintendent as mandated by state law include holding an accredited master’s degree and at least 30 graduate semester hours in educational administration and supervision of instruction, 12 graduate hours in professional education and six hours of electives from fields outside professional education.

As per state law, applicants also need five years administrative experience in the educational field, to hold a Louisiana Level 2 Educational Leader Certificate and to have passed the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s School Superintendent Assessment test.