VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish Academy of Math Science and Technology in Ridgecrest will begin pulling applications at random today to determine which students will sit in its classrooms in the 2019-2020 school year.

However, the Concordia Parish School Board is still in search of modular classrooms to accommodate an extra grade level that will be added in the next school year.

After the school was founded in 2012 with pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, the school has added a new grade each year and would have its first senior class in August.

During a regularly scheduled meeting with the Concordia Parish School Board Thursday evening, Tom O’Neal, the director of business affairs for the school board, said he has not found a building that completely meets the description the board was looking for — one portable building comprised of two classrooms and a full-size bathroom.

O’Neal said he received a quote of approximately $90,000 for a five-year lease on a building without a bathroom; however, the quote did not list an option to purchase, an option about which he is inquiring.

“If we could purchase the building outright for $70,000, we could add our own bathroom,” O’Neal said. “We’d have to install the plumbing either way.”

O’Neal said if the building could not be purchased at that price, leasing would be the best option.

Cindy Smith, director of elementary education in the Concordia Parish School District, said the selection of students starts at 9 a.m. today and is not open to the public, but assured that the process is fair.

Students are selected through a lottery system using a random number generator; therefore no one would be given any preferential treatment, Smith said.

Most of the seats that need filling are in the high school classes, Smith said, adding she did not know the exact number of seats open in each grade.   

Meanwhile, younger students going into the pre-school class must be at least 4 years old by September, or else they are not eligible to be enrolled, Smith said. Once selections are made, parents have a two-week window to confirm students will attend the academy and students not selected are placed on a waiting list.

In other matters during Thursday’s meeting, the board:

* Recognized recipients of the Sidney A. Murray Jr. Hydroelectric Citizenship Award in pre-kindergarten through second grade. Award recipients at CPA include Karlin Minor, pre-kindergarten; Christopher Ramos, kindergarten; Katie Anders, first grade and Armya Williams, second grade. Award recipients at Ferriday Lower Elementary School include Joei Green, pre-kindergarten; Jakobe Hawkins, kindergarten; Aleiya Watson, first grade and Ta’Karion Mayberry, second grade. Award recipients at Monterey High School include Birdie Piper, pre-kindergarten; Molleigh Mount, kindergarten; Mason Martin, first grade and Hayli Wigginton, second grade. Award recipients at Vidalia Lower Elementary School include Avery Foster, pre-kindergarten; Finn Thompson, kindergarten; Madison Douglas, first grade and Aria Lanus, second grade.

* Unanimously approved minutes for previous meetings, including a special-called meeting on Feb. 12 and a regular meeting on Feb. 21.

* Unanimously approved the financial report for February, which included invoices in the amount of $3,870,722, including all of the schools’ expenses for the month, personnel and maintenance.

* Unanimously approved a request for purchase for Alio accounting software for $189,000, which would be paid for over a two-year period.

* Unanimously approved the second reading of state recommended policies regarding sexual harassment, recruitment, employment of personnel, employment of retired personnel, sick leave, maternity and adoptive leave and student assignment.