NATCHEZ — In a split vote Monday, Natchez aldermen voted to give land long earmarked for a new recreation complex to the Natchez-Adams School District to build a school.

Many residents were present to support a new school being built on the property, others opposed the move outright and some said the land, known as the bean field, could accommodate both a new school and recreation.

Adams County resident Robert Pernell said the issue was divisive, but said he thought residents could find a way to work together and move forward. Pernell said the community needs new schools, and it needs recreation.

“Why not put those two together?” Pernell said. “It makes good economic sense, strategically it makes sense and quite frankly, it makes good common sense. Let’s just make a decision and not keep kicking this can down the road.”

Several residents said they wanted the city to delay giving the property to the board so more time could be spent determining a funding source other than increasing taxes.

“It seems wise to me to investigate all options before Natchez becomes responsible for a $42 million endeavor,” resident Marcia McCullough said. “A small school board should not have such control over such a huge amount of tax money without community input and additional oversight.”

McCullough said only one architectural firm was consulted out of 101 firms in the state. McCullough said she was also concerned about the decision to build a high school and whether the board considered if an elementary or middle school ought to come first.

Several groups, including two groups of churches and the Natchez chapter of the NAACP came out to say they supported giving the land to the school board.

Jacqueline Marsaw with the NAACP said the school district worked hard to increase test scores and the board has assured the public it would not stop until the district is a top school.

School board member Phillip West was also outspoken about his support for the land transfer and the plan to build a new school on the property.

“Having served on the board for the last one and a half years, I can tell you that we have worked extremely hard, meeting two to three to four times a month to improve education and move forward for the children in the community,” West said.

West said the board working hard is important because “the quality of education in our community directly impacts economic development, public safety and the overall quality of life for all residents of our city and county.”

West, whose racially tinged comments at a July school board meeting caused the meeting to end abruptly due to the chaos caused, said the issue of race coming up in this issue is regrettable.

“I am hopeful and prayerful that this city will, for once and for all, stop making decisions based on the race and make decisions based on substance,” West said. “Do not do what is black or white, do what is right.”

When Natchez resident Kevin Wilson spoke, Mayor Darryl Grennell had to call order in the audience as people attempted to interrupt him. Wilson has spoken out previously against the school board’s plan.

Wilson said he is concerned about spending in the district now, as he said based on comments from former school board member Terry Estes the school system has 100 more employees now, with approximately 3,300 students, than it did in 2000 when the system had approximately 5,600 students.

Also based on Estes’ comments, Wilson said he is concerned a high school is not the right option, as a study back when Estes was on the board suggested a new elementary school was the way to go to improve scores.

“If students do not know how to read and write and do arithmetic by the sixth grade, they are 65 percent more likely to drop out or fail,” Wilson said. “Everybody keeps concentrating on the new high school. We better teach children to learn how to read and write and do arithmetic before we worry about a brand new high school…”

After the public hearing part of the meeting closed, Alderwoman Sarah Smith said with so much left to consider about the decision, she thought voting Monday night was irresponsible.

“Is there a way to make this whole community feel good about this?” Smith said. “I believe that there is a way. If we don’t work together in coming up with that way, then we are going to stay divided.”

Smith’s concern was ignored.

Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, who is a retired teacher, made the motion to approve the resolution, with Alderman Billie Joe Frazier seconding it.

Arceneaux-Mathis said the issue is about the safety of the children.

“One of the first things you do when you are dealing with a strategic plan for education is that you are going to provide a child a safe environment in which to learn,” she said. “That’s No. 1. We are not even talking scores or whether we like it or don’t like it.”

Arceneaux-Mathis said the issue of taxes was not before the aldermen, nor was what school should be built first. She said the issue was whether to convey the property to the school district or not.

Frazier said the community needs to work together and get the project moving.

“We are not trying to be like the Jackson public school,” he said. “We are not going that way. We are going to be better. We are a better community.”

The Jackson Public School District has been struggling for years and considered for state takeover.

Though he voted in favor of the resolution, Alderman Dan Dillard said an elementary school be built before a high school.

“If I could build a little fire and I get good at it, we will do it again and move on to the middle school,” Dillard said. “By the time those kids make it all the way to high school, we will have a long-range plan to rebuild the school district to give these children an opportunity to succeed and reach all of their aspirations.”

The board voted 5-1 to approve the resolution, with Smith voting no.

The resolution has a reverting clause that would return land not used by the school district for educational purposes back to the city.

Alderwoman Felicia Irving said that clause is important because whatever property is not used by the school district, could be used for recreation.

“I want to see both things take place.”