[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 40 (Monday, March 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE OUACHITA PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT

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                         HON. RODNEY ALEXANDER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 10, 2008

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the Ouachita 
Parish School District for its designation as one of the top five 
school districts in the State of Louisiana, according to rankings 
recently released by the Department of Education.
  As test scores throughout the Fifth Congressional District steadily 
climb each year, I believe the continued success of the Ouachita Parish 
School District stands as an example of hope and encouragement to other 
schools in the state who are striving to improve their current 
rankings.
  The Fifth Congressional District has long struggled to overcome its 
status as one of the poorest regions in the country with an educational 
system that is often ranked very low. The achievements of the Ouachita 
Parish School District give me great hope that our region can defy its 
history.
  When children excel in school, the transformation that takes place 
within their lives spills out beyond the walls of the classroom and 
into the community in which they live, and I believe the Ouachita 
Parish School District is stimulating such progress in North Louisiana.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the 
efforts of the Ouachita Parish School District and its commitment to 
improving education and the quality of life in Ouachita Parish and 
throughout the State.

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