VIDALIA — Realizing the direct relationship between education and economic development, the Concordia Economic and Industrial Development District board opted to take a supportive stance regarding Gov. Bobby Jindal’s recently released education plan.

Amid statewide controversy, the Louisiana Economic Development group asked that all local and regional groups pass a resolution supporting or opposing the governor’s education plan.

The plan includes several bills that would expand a state-financed private school tuition program, make it simpler for private groups to run public charter schools and change teacher tenure policies.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said that after several conversations with the governor’s office and his congressional delegates, a decision had to be made.

“I believe strongly in this governor and his ability to sit down and improve the state of education in Louisiana,” Copeland said. “There’s going to be good and bad in everything, but hopefully there is enough good in this plan to improve the state of education, which is something I think we all support.”

While the board did not support the plan or any of the laws directly Wednesday, Executive Director Heather Malone said a blanket support proposal for the plan wouldn’t be wise until exact details are determined.

“We all support the improvement of education for our state, but we need to keep up with the legislative session and see where these bills are going before doing anything else,” Malone said. “While things in the plan sound good in theory, it’s still not clear on how the implementation will work.”

Malone said a resolution will be drafted stating the board will take a stance supporting an improved education plan. That resolution will be sent to each member and signed.

In other news from the meeting:

•T. Baker Smith, a consultant company based in Baton Rouge, has begun work on the Vidalia Port master plan.

The plan provides a long-term outlook on the port including possible expansions and developments, and is required by the Louisiana Port Construction and Development Priority Program.

Malone said a representative of the company will be interviewing area businesses that have shown interest in utilizing the port.

The plan, which gives a 20-year outlook on the facility, will take several months to complete.

Malone also said an application was submitted for a new round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program to fund the remaining construction of the port.

The grant, which is part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, would allow for phases two and three to get under way. Currently the port is in the final stages of phase one.

In December, the city learned it would not receive $11 million in grant funding from the same program.

•The Miss-Lou Regionalism Steering Committee will unveil its three-year joint marketing plan to promote Adams County and Concordia Parish during a joint chamber luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 27 at the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center.

After unveiling its plan at the luncheon, the committee will formally ask the Adams County Board of Supervisors and the Concordia Parish Police Jury for financial support during their meetings in April.

Each side of the river will be asked to provide $15,000 per year for a period of three years to support a Miss-Lou marketing campaign for the purposes of economic development.

Malone said the funds would be used for products like a joint Miss-Lou website with interactive mapping resources and print advertising that would promote the area to potential investors.