Bossier Parish School Board installs new president, appoints District 7 interim member

Monthly financial statements remain unavailable to the public.

This article appeared in the July 18, 2025, BossierNow morning email. We offer free and paid plans.

Eric Newman, District 9 Bossier Parish School Board member, was installed as board president at BPSB's Thursday meeting.

"I want to continue the legacy that we have of a very well-functioning board that looks to increase the educational experience of every student and the employment experience of every employee that we have here in the parish," Newman said.

With Craton Cochran's election to the Bossier City Council, the board interviewed Rafe Jordan as the sole candidate to replace the District 7 position until an April 2026 election.

In remarks before the board, Jordan said he was a student and a graduate of the Bossier system, parent of a son going "the Apollo, Green Acres, Airline route. And my wife was an educator at Plantation Park for 30 years."

Jordan said he worked at Louisiana Downs for 22 years.

"I did just about everything out there except car race and ride a horse. I was on the team committee that passed the slot bill allowing Louisiana racetracks to operate slot machines in the tracks," he added.

He is co-owner of Teeco Safety, an equipment supplier to first responders.

With no other candidates, Jordan was unanimously voted to fill the District 7 board member position and will be sworn in at the next school board meeting on August 7.

School board CFO Nicia Bamburg submitted the April 2025 financial statement to the board but did not review the details at the meeting. There were no questions or discussion from the board and the financial statements were not released to the public with the meeting agenda.