A wonderful thing is about to happen at the much beleaguered Thompson School – the building is about to get a little bit of the tender loving care that’s been doled out inside the building for decades.

The school building – which serves as home to the AFJC Community Action Agency’s Head Start program – will soon undergo a $3.1 million renovation.

And it comes not a minute too soon.

The building has been at the center of controversy for several years. Leaky roof problems have plagued the building for years and finding the funds to repair the building have been difficult to say the least.

Renovations will include a new roof to keep those tiny youngsters inside nice and dry. After the roof work is completed the focus will be inside the building. With new paint, wiring, lighting and plumbing, the building will look new again.

The renovations will certainly improve conditions for the more than 400 Head Start students that use the facility, but the renovations serve another important mission.

The school building also holds a special place in the hearts of its alumni. Thompson was a black school during the years of segregation. Within its walls are the memories and images of thousands of students who passed through the school.

Though on the surface the project may not seem like historic preservation, it certainly is. Preserving Thompson is an important project.

We are thankful that AFJC leaders such as Lamar Braxton and Royal Hill – along with many other – worked hard and secured the funding to keep this important part of Natchez’s history alive.