NATCHEZ — Opponents to the Natchez-Adams School District’s efforts to secure bonds to build a new high school are undeterred by a recent judge’s ruling that such bonds are lawful.

Natchez resident Kevin Wilson appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court rulings by Adams County Chancery Court Judge Vincent Davis, who earlier this month declared valid $34 million in bonds for the district’s building project.

The district intends to use $9,000,000 in limited tax notes and $25,000,000 in a lease agreement to build a new high school and renovate many existing buildings.

Adams County residents, including Wilson, filed more than 450 objections to the two bond issue efforts in February, most stating they were against the measure because taxpayers voted against a school bond issue in a special election in May 2017.

In his ruling, filed on July 9, Davis said the bonds proposed to be used by the district are statutorily different than the bonds defeated in the 2017 referendum, although he in his ruling wrote it is understandable how someone outside the law profession could confuse the two.

Davis said the Natchez-Adams School Board’s efforts to issue the bonds meet state law and were declared valid.

Wilson said despite the ruling too many facts in the case are unclear and vague.

Among the items Wilson said he questions what appears to be conflicting statutes that determine how petition signatures are to be collected, including the number of signatures and the timeframe in which to acquire the signatures.

Wilson said he fully expected the cases to be appealed.

“We wanted them in the Supreme Court from the start,” Wilson said.

Wilson said despite a steady drop in the number of students in the school district, the school district continues to ask for more money.

“It doesn’t make sense and people in Adams County are tired of it,” Wilson said.

Wilson said since the hearings in April he has been contacted by residents acknowledging him for his efforts.

“Everywhere I go, people are saying thank you for fighting for this,” he said.

School district officials did not respond when asked for comments Monday.