For the Natchitoches Rotary Club’s first meeting of 2017, held Jan. 3, Rotary member John Luster introduced Dale Skinner, Superintendent of the Natchitoches Parish School District. Skinner described the progress Natchitoches Parish has achieved in six areas of school performance, Assessment Index for Grades, Dropout Credit Accumulation Index, ACT Assessment Index, Strength of Diploma, Cohort Graduation Rate Index, and Cohort Graduation Rate earning a grade of “B” from the Louisiana State Department of Education.

Natchitoches Parish budget information was shared by Budget Director Steven Solomon. Further improvements are needed to maintain and improve the quality of Natchitoches Parish schools, and a proposed half-cent sales tax has been recommended.

Pictured from left are John Luster, Dale Skinner, Steven Solomon, and Fred Terasa (picture by Dr. Ron McBride)