NATCHEZ — Some residents at Thursday’s public tax hearing offered ways in which the Natchez-Adams School District could improve that don’t come with a price tag, while district officials defended a priceless goal of raising student achievement.

The school board hosted the hearing at the Braden Administrative Building, and approximately 30 residents attended. The hearing was legally mandated because NASD proposed a property tax increase, which is equivalent to a $25 increase on a $100,000 house.

Duncan McFarlane pointed out that the cost per pupil at NASD — approximately $10,900 and 22 percent more than the state average — does not seem to line up with student achievement.

Shannon Bland, who attended the hearing, said parent and community involvement is a free ingredient all schools need.

“It doesn’t cost money to get people involved,” said Bland, who is the elementary principal at Cathedral School.

NASD special education teacher Tommie Jones said the district has parent centers, but the majority of NASD parents do not participate.

“What happens when you can’t get the parents (to school)?” Jones posed. “Some of these kids are homeless or have home situations that you wouldn’t believe.”

Mike Blattner said the ratio of support staff to instructional staff could affect student achievement.

Blattner said in his former town’s school system in Covington, La. — which he said was highly rated — the budget funds 60 percent instructional salaries and 40 percent other expenses.

“In Adams County (the ratio is) 40 percent teachers and 60 percent other,” Blattner said.

Blattner suggested the board hire experts to look into district-wide changes, such as the expenditure ratio.

“I don’t like paying more taxes, but I honestly believe throwing more money at this (will not raise achievement),” Blattner said.

Other residents suggested ways the district could cut costs.

John Peterman asked the board how many cell phones and vehicles the district owned.

After consulting with administrative staff, Barnett said the district has 21 vehicles and 69 cell phones.

“Cell phones — that’s an expense you could cut. And I see school vehicles at grocery stores and fast foot chains.”

Barnett said school vehicles are only to be used for school business.

Barnett pointed out the district has made efforts to cut expenses and has cut $4 million in the proposed budget.

Business Manager Margaret Parson said 4.7 percent in salaries was cut this year.

The state cut funding to the school district, Parson said, but the state legislature also mandated costly programs and a salary scale increases.

Expenses other than salaries were up 12 percent, Parson said, by $600,000. She said much of the increase came from federally funded E-Rate Services, which include Internet access and technology.

Several variables contribute to why NASD ranks number 13 of the 152 school districts in Mississippi for cost per pupil, Barnett said.

Transportation costs more than other districts, because unlike other municipal districts, students who live far out in Adams County attend the municipality-county district, Barnett said.

The school has a higher than state average number of special education and homeless students, he said.

And he said federal dollars pay for free or reduced lunch rates for more than 90 percent of the students.

In addition, because the state has labeled NASD as “At risk of failing,” the state requires supplementary services and staff.

Grady Boykin, 86, said he and other senior citizens live on a fixed budget, and taxes are getting too high amid a recession.

“Everybody’s had to cut back (financially), and there’s nothing right but for this school district to cut back before making (taxpayers) pay,” Boykin said.

McFarlane reminded senior citizens they can be exempt from paying property taxes on the first $75,000 of their residences.

Frazier Primary School Elementary teacher Jonathan Pegues said school district might improve if the community visited schools and showed a greater interest the district.

“We should be sitting in a packed auditorium,” Pegues said.

He said sitting on the outside, he understands how residents see only the money taken from their pocket without the test scores to justify it.

“But come to my room, and read to some of my students,” Pegues said. “It might make you feel more at ease with the whole money situation.

Board member Thelma Newsome said the community should support the school district, especially since parents at the public schools are not always able to be there.

“We educate the masses and we try to do a good job,” Newsome said.

NASD, which had 860 employees in 2010, is proposing to collect $11,502,416, or 28 percent of its budget, from local property taxes for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Last year, the district requested $11,121,570, or 25 percent of its budget from local taxes.

The proposed budget for 2011-2012 has projected revenues of $41,022,979, compared to the current year’s projected revenues of $45,223,347.