Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis believes computers in classrooms will give Natchez-Adams Schools a boost in curriculum and test scores.

&uot;We’re behind with technology,&uot; Davis said. With computers in each classroom, &uot;our kids are going to be right up with the top 5 percent of schools in the state.&uot;

The school district plans to put a computer and printer in each classroom — and three computers in each English classroom — at Natchez High, Natchez&160;Middle and Central Alternative schools.

The computers and printers will be paid for through about $325,000 in interest from the Carpenter School Fund and Isaac Laub Milk Fund, two education trust funds set up in the 1930s by Natchez families.

Another $325,000 from a similar fund, the Carpenter Library Fund, will be granted to the George W. Armstrong Library board to establish a separate trust.

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove’s goal is to put a computer in every classroom before 2003, but Natchez-Adams Schools will beat that. Davis said he expects the district to buy computers before the end of the school year. His goal for them to be up and running is the beginning of the next school year.

The schools will be wired for Internet service in the next 90 days, a project paid for with more than $500,000 in federal &uot;e-rate&uot; funds.

The e-rate funds — which are accumulated through a charge on each household and business phone bill — only pay for the software, Davis said.

Davis said he wants teachers to be trained on the best ways to use the computers in the classroom.

&uot;We’re working to get the staff development in place,&uot; he said. &uot;A big part of this has to be the training. Just having computers in the classroom isn’t going to help.&uot;

For example, Davis said, teachers can put their curricula online so that students can access it when they get home from school or if they are home sick.

And Davis said the community can benefit from the computers as well. He is considering a plan to open the high school in the evening so that parents can use the computers and the Internet as well.