We have a great opportunity to make a real difference in our community by supporting the very important upcoming bond issue for the Natchez-Adams School District to improve and update schools in Adams County, particularly the high school and the middle school grades.

I urge all voters to join me in voting “Yes” on this very important bond measure.

We have spent many years as a community adding band aids to the existing school plants. After 55 years, our high school needs to be replaced and middle grades need to be brought together in one improved location for several reasons that benefit all of us.

First, it is urgent that we build an educational system that attracts new businesses to our area, and, along with those businesses, new people who can expand our tax base and help our community grow. We want our children to be able to stay in our community and have opportunities to find good jobs in our area. Many of us are watching our children graduate and leave for better opportunities, meaning that we are an aging population without the support and care of our families. A new high school and middle school complex can help us reach the goals of making a better life for our children in our local area.

Second, we need to improve the health and safety of the school buildings for our children. The current design of the high school requires students to move from one classroom to another or to other parts of the campus no matter the weather. There are areas of the campus, such as the original locker sections, that students cannot use because supervision of students is too difficult. More importantly and urgently, the current high school design is unsafe. We have been incredibly blessed that we have not a threat such as an active shooter similar to those that many other school systems have suffered across the country. The current high school design is unsafe not only for students, but also for first responders who must navigate the maze of buildings to pinpoint the location of the threat. In addition, there is no safe space in the classrooms for students. Every classroom has multiple windows open to the space on campus, and there is no room to move students away from those windows in order to protect them. This is an urgent need!

Third, we need a school design that supports and improves teaching and learning. The open nature of the classrooms at the current high school means that there are constant distractions and disruptions to learning. It also prevents the best supervision of students. Lack of supervision can lead to problems with student behavior, time out of school and reduced learning time. As a result, student scores on states tests are affected and as a result, the standing of the school is affected. Current classrooms are not large enough to support active teaching methods and are not outfitted with electrical and technological updates to provide for use of new learning and teaching tools. Multiple scientific studies over many years show that the physical plant can either cause better learning or it can lead to poorer academic growth depending on the design, safety and environment in the building.

For these reasons, I am fully in support of the upcoming bond measure that will provide the funds to meet the goals I have outlined.

I urge others to vote “Yes” to invest on this issue to help our town and county grow just as other Mississippi school districts have already done, including North Pike School District, Columbia School District, Starkville School District and Rankin County School District, which in March approved a $178.5 million bond issue.

It’s time to make a difference by voting “Yes!”
Leinda Peterman

Natchez resident