ACADIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) – The search for a new superintendent of schools in Acadia Parish is heating up.
Current Superintendent John Bourque, announced his plans to retire back in February.
    
The deadline to submit an application to become the next superintendent is April 27. Bourque tells News 10 that he wants the transition to run smoothly.

“After that, it moves kind of quickly. The board has to decide who to interview, how many interviews, and it goes real quick,” said Bourque.

Although he’s not part of the interview process, Bourque says he will be there every step of the way, to support the Acadia Parish School Board in making a decision.

He says two things the board should look for in a superintendent are, “a good communicator and putting kids first.”

Bourque states that there are a lot of things someone can do as the superintendent, which includes a ton of responsibility to students, faculty, staff, and parents.

“You’ve got a lot more power then the people realize, a lot more headaches and responsibilities. But I look at it as the decisions I make, can affect generations,” he said. 

During his 15 years in office, Bourque says schools in his district have gone from a 63% graduation rate up to 90%.
It’s a ‘B’ district, with 25 schools total, and around 9500 students.
 
“So it’s a large district spread out, and we’ve been very fortunate in moving our scores up, and graduating individuals, so those things are good,” he said.

Aside from school security and modernizing curriculums, he says the biggest challenge facing the next superintendent will most likely be finances.

“We’re last in the state in the money we have to educate a student, where if you had local dollars, federal dollars, and state dollars, we’re number 70 among school districts in the amount we have,” said Bourque.

The school board will interview the finalists for the position on May 24. 
A new superintendent will be chosen on June 5.