NATCHEZ &8212; The future of 4,500 Natchez children lays in five adult hands.

The Natchez-Adams School Board can make decisions that enable teachers, administrators and parents to pitch in, or they can make decisions that leave them no money, no authority and no ability to do their jobs.

They try to choose the former.

&8220;It&8217;s been hard at times,&8221; board member Johnny Dale said. &8220;But it&8217;s been very rewarding too, and I&8217;m glad that I&8217;ve done it.&8221;

Dale and the other board members were honored with plaques at last week&8217;s school board meeting to celebrate the statewide school board member recognition week &8212; this week.

Other board members shared Dale&8217;s view, saying every decision can be a critical one.

&8220;Are you doing what is best for the students? You have to really weigh that one out,&8221; board Vice President Dale Steckler said.

The school board&8217;s role in education has increased as more and more accountability standards are outlined for schools, Superintendent Anthony Morris said.

&8220;They are expected to understand that process, too,&8221; Morris said. &8220;I try to give them an outline of what we plan to do on a year by year basis. We work well together to try to reach the goals we set.

&8220;They realize some of the challenges we face and we, together, are trying to address those in a step-by-step process.&8221;

Student and personnel matters are the hardest decisions, senior board member Kenneth Taylor said.

The board frequently deals with student suspensions and expulsions in executive session. They also approve all personnel hires, fires and compensation.

Other issues that fuel emotions, like dress codes, are tough, too, Taylor said.

&8220;Issues like the dress code continue to be very volatile issues,&8221; he said. &8220;Parents are expressing concerns about ability to acquire what they need; students desire to have more individuality and expression in what they wear. But the reason for having a dress code is to eliminate the competition in students because of dress.&8221;

Money can stir up trouble, too, Dale said.

&8220;We had to raise taxes in a pretty significant way (last year),&8221; Dale said. &8220;That&8217;s one of the hardest things you have to do. You know there are a lot of people out there on fixed incomes and barely making ends meat.&8221;

The school board job is one no one really wants, board members said but one they accepted in order to serve.

&8220;An alderman called and asked if I was willing,&8221; Dale said. &8220;It scared me to death. I went into depression for a week, took a week and let it sink in and finally decided it was the right thing to do.&8221;

The local government appoints school board members in Natchez. Dale and James Coleman are in their first terms. Steckler has served a little more than the normal four-year term, and Taylor is in his seventh year. Board chairman Norris Edney has served about five years.

&8220;It wasn&8217;t something I wanted to do, but something I was willing to do if I could help students in the community,&8221; Steckler said. &8220;There are not always that many positions of this nature to be able to help your community.&8221;

Taylor has dual motives in his role on the board. He also works at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and views K-12 education as feeder schools to Co-Lin.

&8220;I&8217;m on the front lines of knowing how well students are prepared, what are their weaknesses,&8221; Taylor said.