Ouachita Parish School Board Extends Job Freeze

MONROE, La. (AP) — Members of the Ouachita Parish School Board have voted to maintain the partial hiring freeze for the school year.

The News-Star reports ) two recommendations, one in reference to the freeze and the other regarding the suspension on accepting new applications with the exception for certified teachers and bus driver positions, were modified.

Director of business Juanita Duke had originally recommended to continue the freeze ran through the hiring process. Duke now says any classroom teacher vacancies would be filled by transferring an existing, qualified teacher from a school reportedly suffering from overstaffing.

The board has made nearly $10 million in cuts for the upcoming school year in an effort to balance the budget and reverse a deficit spending trend.