W. Feliciana schools celebrate high rank

• By JAMES MINTON
• Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
• Published: Oct 16, 2009 - Page: 5B

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ST. FRANCISVILLE — West Feliciana Parish school system officials and students celebrated the parish’s second-highest state performance ranking announced Tuesday, but the celebration wasn’t long, the superintendent said Thursday.

“You just can’t stand still. We’re constantly chasing that moving target,” Jesse L. Perkins Jr. said.

The Louisiana Department of Education reported that West Feliciana, with a district performance score of 110.9, was second only to the Zachary Community School District’s 116.8 in the state accountability rankings.

West Feliciana has finished in second place behind Zachary for four consecutive years, and increased its score by five points from 2008.

Perkins became superintendent after the April 15 death of Lloyd L. Lindsey Jr. and plans to retire next year after the School Board hires a new superintendent.

He said the parish’s challenge this school year is to continue improving in all areas of its instructional program despite the system’s revenue decline and the spending reductions that were necessary before the year began.

“We cannot be satisfied with where we are; we must always strive to get better,” Perkins said.

Perkins said the spending cuts threaten the instructional programs that are in place, including after-school tutoring, small classes to boost literacy and math skills and a summer tutoring program.

“We have a huge summer program,” he said.

Bains Elementary School had the highest performance score, 111.2, and its feeder school, Bains Lower Elementary was just behind at 110.8.

West Feliciana Middle School had a 107.1 score, while West Feliciana High School scored 105.2.

Tunica Elementary, which had an 88.4 score in 2008, jumped this year to 97.1.

“We made some changes in that program last year,” Perkins said of Tunica’s progress.