By Cain Madden

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — The Natchez Early College Academy administration was hoping to have news on a potential move to the Alcorn University Natchez Campus by winter, but any relocations will have to wait a little longer.

Principal Kesha Broady-Campbell said they should have word of their potential new home by April or May at the latest. She said all the work on an agreement and the proposals have been completed, but the relocation still has to be approved by the three school boards.

“I am very hopeful,” Broady-Campbell said. “There are no doubts in my mind that everyone involved wants to see this progress and desires to see this happen. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the children and the area.”

The goal is to have NECA in operation at Alcorn starting in August for the 2016-17 school year.

Superintendent Frederick Hill said both Alcorn and the Copiah-Lincoln Community College boards should vote on the matter in April. Should it pass, he didn’t anticipate any problems from the Natchez-Adams School Board.

“At this point, I think all three parties are more than satisfied,” he said. “We are all just going to have to take the MOUs (memorandums of understanding) back to our boards to make sure they are in agreement.”

NECA is located on the Natchez High School campus, and it is in its second year. Approximately 170 students in grades 9-11 attend the school.Students are already taking classes at Co-Lin, but so far they are only doing so in the morning. With the move, students would be eligible to take classes all day at the campus.

“We want juniors and seniors to be able to spend the majority of their time at Co-Lin,” Hill said.

Meanwhile, the students taking classes at Alcorn, mostly ninth and 10th graders, would be taking AP-level college prep courses.

Current students are projected to officially be a college sophomore upon graduation. The goal down the road is for enrolled students to graduate from high school with their associate’s degree, which would make them college juniors, Hill said.

Broady-Campbell said the school received 66 applications from eighth graders meeting the criteria for enrollment, but that she only has room for 50 of them. Late enrolling students will be entered into a random electronic selection process.

Acceptance letters will be sent out in early April, the principal said.

“I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on the interview panel for the students going over next year,” Hill said. “It’s been exciting to see how much the students are anticipating this.

“It’s just a confirmation for me that we are doing something good for the students.”