Controversy over school size continued to be one of the biggest issues of 2000 for the Natchez-Adams School District.

This year the school district formed a committee of district staff and local residents to receive community input on the size of elementary student enrollment at each school.

School board member Don Marion said he thinks this committee has been one of the biggest events for the school district this past year.

&uot;I think we got the community more involved in the schools which is always a plus,&uot; Marion said.

Because the school district is under a desegregation court order any changes in configuration require approval from the U.S. Justice Department,

&uot;But maybe with the community support we can have a better chance (of receiving approval,)&uot; Marion said.

This month, the committee, which is known as the Educational Plan for K-6 Advisory Committee, finalized its school size recommendation for the school board.

It recommended the school district built two new fourth to sixth-grade schools and convert, West Primary, Frazier Primary and Morgantown Elementary into kindergarten to third-grade schools.

It also suggested the school district use Natchez Middle School and McLaurin Elementary for seventh and eighth-grade students.

The committee members said they supported this plan because it will reduce student enrollment at all the mentioned schools over a long-term period as opposed to a plan suggested by the school district.

The school district’s plan included converting Morgantown Elementary and McLaurin Elementary from second to sixth-grade schools to kindergarten to sixth-grade schools and West Primary and Frazier Primary to kindergarten to sixth-grade schools.

The plan also included opening Braden Schools, the district’s administrative office, as a kindergarten to sixth-grade schools.

In other school events this year, the Natchez Board of Aldermen appointed Dr. Norris Edney to the school board after the death of school board member Dr. David Steckler.

The school district also continued improvements to several district buildings this year including its new multipurpose building next to Natchez High School.

The school district purchased the former Natchez Convention Center and surrounding land last year from the City of Natchez for use as a band and athletic facility and for use as meeting space.

The school district also implemented a new discipline plan this fall focusing on teaching students better behavior. The theory behind the plan is to teach students to make &uot;positive choices&uot; so the school district can avoid suspending so many students.

The idea is to keep the students in school where they can learn, says officials with the school district.

The plan also includes rewarding students for good behavior.