The Natchez-Adams&160;County School District is asking for community help in encouraging its students.

And a program known as Partners-In-Education may be a good way for residents to get involved.

&uot;We are trying to get new adopters,&uot;&160; said Public Relations Director Millicent Mayo.

The district is holding a Partner-In-Education signing at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the Braden School Board Room.

At the meeting, the adopters will sign a 1999-2000 Partner-In-Education compact. All those interested in being an adopter are invited to attend.

&uot;We need our partners,&uot; said Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis. &uot;We want our partners to get actively involved.&uot;

The purpose of Partners is to encourage student motivation, teacher appreciation and business appreciation.

Traditionally, the program partners businesses with schools in the area but it is now being expanded to include families or groups.

&uot;We want people to either mentor a child or if they want to (they can) adopt a school or just adopt a class,&uot; Mayo said.

For example, Mayo has adopted a class at Morgantown Elementary and has also adopted a student at the Central Alternative School.

The district wants the groups or businesses to actually get involved in mentoring students.

&uot;The giving of time from the employees is something we are going to need,&uot; Davis said.

Anyone willing to share their experiences with the students would also be a good adopter.

&uot;We are asking for a couple that travels a lot to come back tell the adventures they have had,&uot; Mayo said.

The school district has had this program for several years with much success. For example, the Natchez Police Department is a long-time adopter of the Central Alternative School. Each year, the police, along with the school’s other adopters, has parties for students with good attendance.

&uot;They wanted to work on attendance because they saw so many kids on the street,&uot; Mayo said adding that attendance has improved at Central with this reward system, she added.

Dr. Wayne Barnett, former principal of Natchez High School has seen the program help both the high school and middle school.

&uot;It’s been a real good program and its not just been a money situation,&uot; Barnett said.