The district partnered with a Chicago-based company this year to operate the alternative school, but Hill said dividing the school to include the academy would not violate the terms of that agreement.

Following the Freshman Academy, students would transfer to Natchez Early College Academy, which is a college-preparatory high school that would offer semester-long courses at the current Natchez High School campus.

Students will spend the first two years of high school earning credits in more rigorous courses to help prepare them for college.

As early as their junior year of high school, students could begin to earn dual credits.

The model will allow a student to finish the program with a high-school diploma and an associate degree or up to two years of college credit.

The district, Hill said, will likely partner with Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus to offer the college courses and credits.

A career academy will also be offered and will restructure the Fallin Career and Technology Center to offer students entering in 9th grade a three- or four-year program.

Hill said students will also have the option to attend a standard high school program, which would be no different than what students attend now at Natchez High School.

The board unanimously approved the proposal Thursday with board president Tim Blalock saying he felt the changes, especially those at the high school, would be beneficial for students.

Hill said the next step in the restructuring plan entailed creating an implementation team consisting of members from the high school, middle school and central administrative building to finalize all the details.

The goal, Hill said, is to have all the details finalized by May to present to teachers before they leave for summer break.