The Winn Parish School Board, in its first meeting of the 2025 calendar year, elected their president and vice president to lead that body over the next 12 months.

Joe Lynn Browning was picked to return for his fifth term as president over the negative votes of Joe Llaine Long, Lacey McManus and Mike Riffe.  Browning was nominated by outgoing vice president Patrick Howell.  He’s served on the board for 40 years.

Lacey McManus was picked to serve as vice president.  She was nominated by Joe Llaine Long.  She told the Journal, “I look forward to this new year.”

Browning told the Journal that money in Winn Parish will be a primary concern to the board.  “When we lose students, we lose money.  We will need to look ahead to next year, not just next week, and work with the superintendent on our budget.  We don’t want to wake up one morning to find we are bankrupt.”

He added that he’s looking forward to getting lighting on the Dodson High School baseball and softball fields.  In action Monday night, the board approved a contract with Halff Engineering for services relating to construction of a parking lot for the ball fields.  Lighting and electrical work is being handled through a separate contract already in place.