NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams School District Board of Trustees is looking to meet with a consulting group about financing or renovating new schools next week.

The district discussed the possibility of renovating or building new campuses for Natchez High School and Joseph L. Frazier Elementary School with Volkert Inc. in 2015. Renovations to the Washington School, which could potentially be used as an elementary school, have also been mentioned.

Volkert had previously reported to the board that a new high school could be built without new taxes due to aspects including bonds retiring in 2017. However, in May, Volkert reported concerns with the district’s 2015 audit, which could derail that possibility.

Volkert is now ready to meet with the district next week to discuss financial options. The board is tentatively looking at meeting sometime on Sept. 25.

Trustee Thelma Newsome was absent from Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting and Interim Superintendent Fred Butcher said the Volkert meeting concerning schools was one all board members should be present for, so he wanted to give her the opportunity to help confirm a date.

Trustee Phillip West said the possibility of building a new elementary and high school should be the board’s highest priority.

“In my mind, this is something we are 25 years behind on, our school facilities,” he said. “We need to make sure we address our crumbling school buildings because that is what we have.

“People are not going to run from Timbuktu to come to falling down school structures. That’s whether they are students, whether they are parents or whether they are teachers.”

Board Attorney Bruce Kuehnle said the debt bonds are retiring in 2017, but the millage enacted to support it is tied to those specific bonds. Keuhnle said the board would have to go through the process again when new bonds are issued in securing debt-service millage.

Concerns with variance in 16th section land interest revenues have also been mentioned.

Butcher said after the meeting the financial situation had changed from potentially being able to build a new high school without new taxes. However, he declined to go into specifics until board members had a chance to review the materials from Volkert next week.

Volkert previously reported building a new high school was projected to cost $42 million, while renovating the school would cost approximately $23 million. Renovating Frazier is projected to cost $11 million, while renovating Washington School would cost $5 million.

In other news, the board voted to increase athletic ticket prices from all sports at Natchez High School from $5 to $7 and at the two Morgantown Academies from $4 to $5.

Butcher said this past year at the high school level the district took in approximately $70,000 in revenues from ticket sales. If attendance remained the same, Butcher said revenue would be approximately $28,000 more.

Butcher said the additional revenue would be used to support the athletics programs and buildings.

West said it may be OK if from time to time the athletes are out on the highway having fundraisers, but it shouldn’t be to buy uniforms.

“If we can’t afford baseball uniforms, we shouldn’t have a baseball team,” he said. “That’s bad. Whatever activities the district is sponsoring, we need to be able to afford it without car washes.”

Athletic director Sekufele Lewanika said $7 is still a bargain because in many districts tickets cost more than $10.

“I think the community will pay $7 over $5 in a heart beat,” Trustee Cynthia Smith said.

Wright said, “Especially for football.”