NATCHEZ — Natchez-Adams School Board approved hiring two consultant groups Thursday to start two new initiatives in the district.

For the first program, a consultant from The Kirkland Group would help prepare people such as teachers’ assistants and those who have expert citizen licensures to take the test to become full-fledged teachers.

Expert citizen licenses act as temporary teaching licenses while people work toward their teaching license.

Board members Cynthia Smith, Amos James Jr. and vice president Benny Wright raised concerns about the program.

James and Smith — who voted against the motion — said they were concerned low turnout would make the program ineffective. The consultant will cost a total of $52,200, regardless of how many people participate.

Wright asked if any data was available to judge the program’s past success. Board member Thelma Newsome said Kirkland has a good reputation.

“Sometimes if no one has done this, you’re not going to have hard data to show,” Newsome said.

Newsome moved to approve and was seconded by Wright. The measure passed 3-2, with Board President Timothy Blalock casting the deciding vote.

The board voted unanimously for a second program with consultants from Greene Education Services preparing students and teachers for the ACT test.

Natchez High School Principal Tony Fields, who presented the proposal, said the ACT is important because it helps determine the colleges students attend and whether they receive scholarships.

“This is the money test for our students,” Fields said.

In other news from the meeting:

-The board discussed the possibility of allowing employees who are not teachers to volunteer during work hours.

“The goal was to, again, place the Natchez-Adams School District in the community as much as possible,” NASD public relations coordinator Steven Richardson said.

Volunteers from Team NASD currently only volunteer on weekends, he said.

“So we want to open up that opportunity during the week,” Richardson said.

Some board members, however, raised concerns about whether or not they would have to pay employees during that time and, if so, if they were allowed to do so.

“We want to make sure we are adhering to the law,” Newsome said.

-The board met in executive session to discuss one personnel matter involving the Department of Labor, one potential litigation report, one litigation report on the Idom case and one report involving another legal matter.

The Idom case involves former West Elementary School Principal Cindy Idom, who claims to have been bullied for racial reasons and faced standards black principals didn’t.

Blalock said they passed a motion concerning the potential litigation report and another concerning the matter involving the Department of Labor, but would not elaborate on specifics.

-The board announced it would meet with the Board of Supervisors and Aldermen at noon on Oct. 20.