Even though school is out for students for the summer, school officials with the Natchez-Adams School District are making plans for the upcoming year.

&uot;One of the biggest challenges I face is to educate people about change and new direction,&uot; said Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis, who has led the public school district since January 1999.

Although he views the past year as positive, he still sees ways to improve in such areas as instruction, classroom management – how teachers handle discipline and interruptions – and staff development.

&uot;We have to make the changes that are going to improve our safety and learning (in the district),&uot; Davis said.

Decisions to add cameras at Natchez High School this year and student resource officers or police officers to some campuses next year and an increase in staff development afternoons to one a week are part of the process, he said.

Also for next year, the district wants to develop up to date curriculum guides for secondary subjects and reexamine how students are graded and are ranked for graduation. All staff down from administrators and teachers to cafeteria workers and bus drivers will also receive staff development, he said.

&uot;We’re going to look at every aspect of the district and try to educate, educate, educate,&uot; Davis said.