VIDALIA — Concordia Parish School Board employees will have another check in their pocket next year as the board voted Thursday night to split parish employees’ 13th check into two separate checks.

Superintendent Loretta Blankenstein made the recommendation to the board to split the check, giving the teachers one check in August, and one in January.

Board member Fred Butcher said placing the new check in August will help teachers with costs at the beginning of the school year.

The August check will be $600 for all current school board employees.

The second check in January will be $400 for all certified employees and $200 for all non-certified employees.

Blankenstein said in order to qualify for the checks, the employees must be on staff and employed before August 2011.

Blankenstein said the money for the two checks comes from sales tax revenue in the parish.

Butcher also proposed a resolution that passed stating he wanted the business manager to look at the revenue for the sales tax to consider giving employees more money on the January check.

Board President Gary Parnham said he wanted to commend the board for their work in procuring more money for school board employees.

In other news:

The board voted to approve the expenditures from November in the amount of $3,161,067.

Student of the year winners for the parish in grades 5, 8 and 12 were honored at the meeting.

The winners for the annual Christmas Card Art Contest were also honored at the meeting.