VIDALIA — Two weeks before faculty members of Concordia Parish School District return to work, the parish still has more than a dozen vacancies for certified teachers.

During a Concordia Parish School Board meeting Thursday evening, Superintendent Whest Shirley announced the parish has approximately 20 percent of its teaching positions open.

By August, Shirley said the principals are prepared to re-hire uncertified teachers — all of whom are working toward getting their teaching licenses.

“(Having uncertified teachers) is not going to affect our school performance scores,” Shirley said, “but we’re striving to have all certified teachers.”

In addition, Shirley said the parish has a principal vacancy at Vidalia Upper Elementary School, and an assistant principal vacancy at Vidalia Junior High School after Buddy Givens announced his retirement Thursday and the deadline for hiring new supervisors passed last Wednesday.

Shirley said the parish is actively looking to hire new teachers.

A pressing need exists across the region for certified educators, he said.

“I was in Columbia over the weekend and the headline of their Sunday newspaper said 2,100 vacancies in the state of Mississippi,” Shirley said. “But we’re hopeful. We did have some applicants today (Thursday) and three or four phone calls to this board.”

In other matters at Thursday’s Concordia Parish School Board meeting:

* The board discussed the leveling of the Vidalia and Ferriday football fields and the renovation and maintenance of basketball courts in preparation for fall sports.

* The board unanimously approved the second reading of new school policies regarding authorized signatures, family and medical leave, student searches and student health services. Shirley said those policies were recommended to the board by the state Legislature and are currently under the board’s review. None of these new policies have been adopted as of yet.

* Shirley announced that preliminary Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) 2025 test scores for third through eighth-grade were released Tuesday, which showed a state average of 34 percent of students scoring mastery and above. Monterey School showed 47 percent of students scored mastery or above, Vidalia Upper Elementary showed 32 percent, Vidalia Junior High showed 28 percent, Ferriday Junior High showed 15 percent and Ferriday Upper Elementary showed 12 percent.