NATCHEZ — The Boys and Girls Club will soon get a boost in funding and in after-school programs with the help of grant funding from the Natchez-Adams School District.

Tutoring and recreational programs such as swimming, sports and field trips will be among the new activities the Boys and Girls Club will host.

The Natchez-Adams School Board voted at Thursday’s regular meeting to partner with the club through the district’s 21st Century Community Learning Grant.

The board approved the partnership with the Boys and Girls Club by a 3-2 vote.

Board president Wayne Barnett and board member Dale Steckler voted against the motion. Board members David Troutman, Dr. Benny Wright and Thelma Newsome voted for it.

“If there’s something we can do to help our children and extend to another group who is also doing that kind of thing, I‘m in favor of doing that,” Newsome said.

At Barnett’s questioning, Federal Programs Director Marilyn Alexander-Turner said partnering with the after-school club would move funds from the school facilities to the nonprofit organization.

Turner said the Boys and Girls Club would still be serving NASD students in grades three through six.

Barnett questioned the purpose of funneling NASD grant money to a third party. He also said principals could not be held accountable for programs at the Boys and Girls Club.

“Accountability is the message given to principals, but we come up with programs where the principal doesn’t have any control over what’s going on in his or her building,” Barnett said.

Newsome noted the schools have other after-school tutoring programs that work like the 21st Century programs in the schools already.

Newsome said she learned at a 21st Century Community Learning Conference that many schools partner with the community.

Newsome also said the district has failed in the past to spend its 21st century grant money by the grant deadline, and the Boys and Girls Club might find more use for the funds.

In other news from Thursday’s meeting:

-Natchez pediatrician Dr. Brian Stretch was the third pediatrician to speak out publicly in opposition to a school-based health clinic recently opened at Robert Lewis Middle School by Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center.

“In my opinion this clinic guts one of the foundations of pediatric care — close personal interaction from the family,” Stretch said.

Stretch said he did not intend to criticize anyone’s motives or methods, but he wanted what was best for the children of Adams County.

He said parents of his patients often fill in gaps or context about a child’s illness or symptoms. But a nurse practitioner at a school-based clinic will not get the benefit from talking to a parent, he said.

Wright, who said he practiced as a dentist for 40 years, questioned Stretch’s reason for his opposition to the school-based clinic.

“Is there a socioeconomic motive behind this new altruism?” Wright said.

“I don’t think I have socioeconomic factor in this,” Stretch said.

Stretch also said the four pediatricians in town offer 24-7 service, and the school-based clinics cannot.

“I see many children, many poor children … and all four of (Adams County’s) pediatricians are glad to see these children,” Stretch said.

– Barnett welcomed newly appointed board member Tim Blalock to the meeting. Blalock attended Thursday’s meeting as a member of the public, but was appointed to the board earlier Thursday morning.

Barnett also thanked Steckler for a decade of service.