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NATCHEZ — With the help of a Natchez High School alumnus, Natchez Adams School District is supplying every student with customized book bags at no cost to families.

Public engagement coordinator Tony Fields said the school district is afforded the opportunity to provide students with backpacks through federal programs, not district funds, but is typically unable to fund customization options.

However, the district has partnered with Nikesha “Nikki” Guice-DuPlessis, a 2000 graduate of Natchez High School and owner of D IX Couture design company, who is supplying the district with 2,800 clear bags at approximately $60,000, or just over $21 per bag. Fields said that this is the cost they would’ve been without customization with school colors and the NASD bulldog logo.

“We have provided backpacks before, but not of this quality,” Fields said. “They are good quality and very durable. … Our kids like to be fashionable and she brought in some designs for bags shed done. We were blown away by the quality and customization. She is being gracious to us. We can provide backpacks and things but we cannot do the customizations. Her being an alumnus, she is doing that portion for us.”

Fields said middle and high school students are required to have clear backpacks but they are optional for pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade students.

“What we wanted to do, since we’re requiring those things, is provide them to students so families won’t have to come out of pocket for so much,” he said. “We are going to provide some school supplies as well. Whatever we can do to help our students, we’re trying to do. We’re making a great effort this year to ensure our students have everything they need in the classroom to be successful.”

Backpacks will be delivered to each school for the start of the new school year, Fields said.
“We’re asking a lot of our parents and students because of the reorganization of our district but we’re reorganizing in the best interest of the students’ success by trying to ensure that they have a highly qualified teacher. We’re putting our best foot forward in making sure that they have good teachers and all the materials that they need and we hope to carry momentum throughout the school year. Our theme is still ‘one team, one vision and one goal’ but we’re adding to that ‘stronger together.’”