Forty-five Natchez-Adams students will have the chance to take part in a career preparation course next summer thanks to a grant through Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District.

The tech prep program will involve both classroom study and hands-on career exploration, said Thelma Newsome, director of federal programs for the school district. She announced the grant Thursday at the Natchez-Adams School Board meeting.

The original amount of the grant, administered to both the school district and the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority’s Schools to Careers program, was nearly $75,000.

But Newsome said she is submitting a new budget for the program that could push that grant amount up to $90,000.

Newsome said the grant will help cover stipends for the students’ afternoon work. The program will also require three teachers and a counselor.

&uot;What we are proposing to do is have the students in class in the morning for four hours, … then in the afternoon they will have career exploration,&uot; Newsome said. &uot;On Fridays they will have field trips that relate to their career exploration.&uot;

In other business, the school board:

4Tentatively approved the first three sections of the school board’s revised policy manual. The school board is revising its manual to include legislative revisions.

4Adopted an acceptable use policy for Internet use among students and teachers. Technology Coordinator Linda Grafton said most of the elementary and middle school classrooms are wired for the Internet, with the high school close behind. &uot;When we put something like the Internet in the hands of students, we want to put the decision (for use) in the hands of the parents … because there is objectionable material online,&uot; Grafton said.

Students will be required to get signed permission slips from their parents to use the Internet. Students will be restricted from accessing Web sites that display pornographic or violent material, promote illegal activity or contain &uot;hate group&uot; information. They will also not be allowed to engage in chat sessions online or use inappropriate language.