VIDALIA — More than a dozen Concordia Parish students received special recognition Thursday evening during the Concordia Parish School Board meeting.

The Sidney A. Murray Jr. Hydroelectric Citizenship Awards were given to an exceptional student in each grade level at every high school in the district. School personnel nominated recipients based on the students’ display of good citizenship, said Superintendent Whest Shirley.

“You’ve proven yourselves to be energetic and enthusiastic in all that you’ve done,” Shirley said. “You’re here tonight because your teachers, your faculty and your staff have nominated you. … We hope that you continue to be role models to your peers.”

Shirley called 15 students to the podium to receive the award.

Recipients include Brooklyn Hall, freshman; Madison Micheau, sophomore; and BJ McKeel, junior, from Concordia Parish Academy; Zaria Jordan, freshman; Brandon Smith, sophomore; De’Aysha Simmons, junior; and Tim’Mya Woods, senior, from Ferriday High School; Carlee Book, freshman; Tyler Keyes, sophomore; Courtney Harris, junior; and Caroline Stevens, senior, from Monterey High School; Matthew Cooley, freshman; Kayla Gamble, sophomore; Deondrias Boxley, junior; and Samuel Cooley, senior, from Vidalia High School.

Afterward, Shirley paused to give special notice of one more, Tommie Wagley — a fifth-grade student at Vidalia Upper Elementary who made a perfect score of 850 on her English Language Arts LEAP test last spring.

Shirley said Wagley’s accomplishment was “unheard of.”

Wagley’s teacher, Amanda Gill, presented Wagner with a Kindle, so she could continue to keep reading and fostering her English skills, Gill said.

“I’m just impeccably proud of you,” Gill said to Wagley. “You have made my teaching career.”

In other matters during Thursday’s Concordia Parish school board meeting, with board member Fred Butcher absent, the board approved by a vote of 8-0:

• Minutes for the Sept. 13 board meeting.
• The financial report, which showed total expenditures of $3,970,063 for the month of September.
• Readings of policies and procedures regarding student safety and internet use.