Blalock said a Natchez alderman told him the old Brumfield School, most recently known as the Brumfield Apartments located on St. Catherine Street, was structurally sound and in good shape, despite former tenants’ complaints about the living conditions.

The city currently owns Brumfield, but the district could buy it or the district could consider land exchanges for that or any other potential property, Blalock suggested.

Blalock also said the board should use the building they sat in, the Braden Administrative Building, for a school facility.

“We should take advantage of whatever we’ve got,” Blalock said.

After brainstorming ideas, board members agreed to give a report of their notes to their consultant, so he will have all the information before making his report to the board next Tuesday.

Johnson said there are 1,800 K-5 students.

Barnett said the moving and reorganization will cost money, and to make improvements happen, other changes will likely meet some resistance.

“But whatever it is we do, we’re doing for best interest of the children,” he said.

Salaries

Barnett said in order to make changes, the board would have to cut some salaries and the number of personnel.

“It’s not a popular thing to do, but the reality is there,” Barnett said.

“We can’t go on the way we have been,” he said.

The board also talked about administrative inefficiencies at the central office, saying changes in job descriptions would make everything run better.

Johnson said the central office jobs might change anyway following school reorganization.

But Johnson said she didn’t see how the central office could eliminate anyone.

“If anything, I need more people in key positions in a couple of offices,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said the district’s salaries are in sync with other districts in the state the same size as NASD.

Board members also agreed they need to re-evaluate the salary schedule in certain areas. For example, Newsome said some employees earn pay raises for earning advanced degrees in fields unrelated to their job in the district.

“Do we need to pay a secretary for a master’s degree?” Barnett posed.

Board member Dr. Benny Wright said regardless of the salary or building, the administration must see to it that everyone who takes a salary has earned it. He said his concern was more about academics within the district.

“If we build the Taj Mahal, we’ve still got to have people who are competent at teaching,” Wright said.

“We can force the accountability on the staff that we have.”