School Board reluctantly copes with reform by Sunny Meriwether - posted Thursday, October 18th, 2012 @ 12:15 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  The Ouachita Parish School Board submitted a plan for handling employee layoffs to the state Department of Education but board members still question whether it was necessary. Ouachita Parish Schools personnel director Don Coker said he doubts a reduction-in-force – or RIF – would be needed, and he could not recall a time in which the parish school system ever needed a RIF. The Department of Education requested the RIF from the parish school system. School Board members questioned the need to submit one to the state since the school system avoided layoffs in grabbling with a budgetary shortfall for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. ..... For the full story, subscribe to the The Ouachita Citizen's NEW E-Edition!