By JIM BUTLER

About 50 teachers who took a $10,000 buyout incentive in 2011 are eligible to re-enter Rapides classrooms as full-time instructors.

Some of them are among substitutes working in a system that is about 100 teachers short of filling its authorized 1,670 teaching slots.

Superintendent Jeff Powell told the School Board at its September meeting that two of the teachers had asked about an opportunity to be rehired.

“Some are willing and I was asked to ask,” he said. Those interested would go through the normal application process.

In 2011 the parish offered buyouts to reduce positions in the wake of a double whammy — dropping parish sales tax collections and a $2.1 million reduction in state funding.

At the time, records show, the parish minimum annual teacher salary was $35,928 and the maximum, with no advanced degrees, specialty pay, etc., was $49,042.

The current basic 30-step plan begins at $44,522 and tops at $58,063.

Board members split — 5 for, 4 against — granting rehire permission.

Wilton Barrios Jr. said the parish needs the best it can find even if applicants did take the buyout.

Linda Burgess agreed the parish needs teachers but didn’t agree with rehire.

Barrios, Mark Dryden, Wally Fall, George Johnson and Willard McCall voted yes.

Voting no were Burgess, Steve Berry, Dr. Stephen Chapman and Sandra Franklin.