The Jeff Davis Parish School Board recognized Superintendent Kirk Credeur on Thursday for his 40 years of dedicated service to the school system in Jeff Davis and Calcasieu parishes.

Credeur will officially retire on July 1 and Superintendent-elect John Hall will take over.

“His loyalty, leadership and dedication to the Jeff Davis Parish school system in fulfilling his duties and responsibilities have brought credit to the system, and served as an example and inspiration to his colleagues,” Board President Jimmy Segura said in presenting a resolution honoring Credeur.

Segura said Credeur led the school district through some of the most difficult times with pandemic and back-to-back hurricanes.

“We have continued to educate our kids through your leadership and I personally appreciate it and I am sure everyone else does,” he said.

Credeur thanked the school system, board and employees for allowing him to serve as superintendent for the last five years.

“I feel very happy with the work that we have done and the people that we have surrounded ourselves with,” Credeur said.

Among the highlights as superintendent, Credeur said he and his staff managed to get the budget under control and put some significant money away to handle upcoming difficult times. In addition, he said under his leadership the district had the No. 1 graduating rate in the state and No. 2 with pre-school scores.

“I’m most satisfied with the tremendous staff that I have been able to assemble,” he said. “Nobody ever gave me hard times about who we were promoting or how we were promoting and I think we have basically paid you back for allowing us to make those decisions by putting some of the best people in the state in the positions that we have.”

His biggest accomplishment has been building the new Jennings Elementary School, which is expected to open this fall.

Board members Malon Dobson and Greg Bordelon thanked Credeur for keeping the school system financially afloat and out of the “red ink.”

“He didn’t have to stay, but he did,” Bordelon said. “He managed our funds and got us back to where we needed to be and I know that was hard.”

Board member Jason Bouley said Credeur had a “full plate” during his tenure as superintendent, but did an outstanding job and deserves to be commended.