Before I became the Superintendent of Lincoln Parish Schools, I was a student, a teacher, a coach, a principal, and a parent of students in Lincoln Parish. After all those years of coaching, teaching, and leading in this school system, I know the success of a team like our Ruston High School Bearcat football team is the product of years of investments in our students, staff, and facilities by everyone in Lincoln Parish.
I started as a teacher and basketball coach at Simsboro High School on December 1, 1990. That was the same month that the Bearcat football team last won a state championship title. I remember the energy in the school, everyone’s excitement, and the spirit in the community. The entire parish came together to celebrate that team.
Exciting things like our district’s A rating and top notch athletic teams are what most often makes the news. So that may be what draws people to Lincoln Parish, but what keeps them here is what they experience in our community and schools every day. Good things happen all the time in our schools because the people who make up our school system work hard and believe in kids.
Without Coach Jerrod Baugh and his coaching staff, the Ruston High football team would not be at the level they are at today. And Coach Baugh is right about the relationship between the strength of a school’s athletics programs and their academic program. High-quality athletic programs keep many students coming to school and working hard in the classroom.
I really want people to know that those kids are eligible to play in the Superdome this Saturday because of the years of dedicated support they’ve gotten in our schools. Thank you to the PreK, kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school teachers, counselors, and school leaders who work hard to help every student recognize and reach their potential. Our educators know and care about those players, so I know they are proud of how hard they worked to get where they are.
Remember, too, that the success we are celebrating is possible because of the support of the voters and taxpayers of the City of Ruston and Lincoln Parish. Without your ongoing financial investments, we can’t offer competitive salaries and affordable benefits to attract and keep talented staff to teach and coach our students. We can’t build and maintain safe facilities and provide high-quality equipment. Thank you for making your homes here, investing in our system, and entrusting us with your kids.
So, when the Bearcats take the field on Saturday, I want everyone in Lincoln Parish to see that they are showing all of us what it means to be a team, united in a goal. They are a perfect example of what happens when people in a community come together behind kids to invest in their learning, their emotional well-being, their health, and their safety.
I definitely want the Bearcats to win. But let’s remember that regardless of the final score on that scoreboard, the people of Lincoln Parish have every reason to be proud of the Bearcats and how well they represent the place we all call home.
Ricky Durrett
Superintendent, Lincoln Parish Schools
