On Tuesday, residents of Natchez and Adams County will have the opportunity to make history when they go to the polls to vote ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ on a referendum to build a new high school and refurbish the other schools that will continue to be used. As I’ve moved throughout the community, I’ve heard arguments for both sides. Yes, I realize the district has most recently been labeled ‘failing’ based on the results of test scores required by Mississippi Department of Education.  But is that enough to keep us from doing what needs to be done in the best interest of our children?  I completely agree that the test scores should be better and as a retired educator, currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Natchez-Adams School District, I can provide several explanations as to why this may be happening. However, regardless of the letter-grade rating of the school district, should our students be made to suffer another 50 or more years? There are many students who have graduated from NASD in recent years.  Yet,  in spite of its ‘failing’ status, they have gone on to do very well, and needless to say, I know there will be many more to follow.  We all know it is time to do something about our schools. What is it going to take for us to do what is necessary?

Natchez has been blessed in that we have not suffered a major catastrophe at one of our schools as they have in several other places. The open campus at several of the schools lends itself to allowing persons to enter the school from many areas and no one would be the wiser. It was just a few years ago that a visible front office was established at Natchez High School so that visitors could  sign-in without having to walk all over the place.  There are only two restrooms on the entire campus of the high school, and with the number of students in attendance that is ridiculous.

Like many of you, my husband and I are both retired and we pay both city and county taxes. We no longer have children or grandchildren attending school in Natchez. However, we understand the importance of providing a quality education in a safe and secure environment for our students. An average of approximately 39 cents per day is not a lot. We spend more than that per day on a senior cup of coffee. Do we place such little value on our children and their future? Are we so selfish that we will deny better educational facilities for our children based on this small amount?

In recent years we have spent millions of dollars building new juvenile detention centers and new prisons. Are these more important than our schools? If we as a community are not willing to provide the funds to properly educate our children, we will continue to build more of these other facilities. I hope we realize that, ‘we either pay now or we pay later.’ That is why I’m voting ‘YES’ on Tuesday, and I’m asking you to do the same.

If we all join together on this, we can truly have ‘GREAT STUDENTS,’‘GREAT SCHOOLS’ and a ‘GREAT COMMUNITY!’
Thelma Newsome

Natchez-Adams Board of Trustees member