NATCHEZ &045; Pencils, forks, knives, razor blades, box cutters, screwdrivers &045; all things that can be considered weapons on a school campus if the intent to use them as such is there.

Last school year, the Natchez-Adams School district had 13 weapon possessions on its campuses, according to annual reports the district turns in to the Mississippi Department of Education. That was 13 possessions out of 597 weapons possessions in all schools in Mississippi.

And, according to a report in The Clarion Ledger, which cited the Mississippi Department of Education, the Natchez-Adams School District ranks fourth in the state for number of weapon possessions.

The district was behind the Vicksburg Warren School District, the DeSoto County district and the Jackson district, respectively. However, the gap between Jackson in third and Natchez-Adams in fourth was 14 as Jackson had 27 possessions.

H. Wayne Barnett, director of student services and safety, said anything could define a weapon.

In the school handbook, firearms and knives are listed as weapons but then there is a &uot;catch-all phrase&uot; for other instruments that could be used to &uot;cause bodily harm,&uot; Barnett said.

Barnett gave the example of a compass students use in geometry that is an instrument used in schools but can also be used as a weapon, if someone intends to use it as such.

The same is true of a pen, pencil or even a screwdriver.

Barnett said there was not a gun on a school campus last year.

The most common weapons, Barnett said, are razor blades, knives and box cutters.

The schools have a &uot;zero tolerance policy&uot; concerning weapons.

&uot;Anytime a child has a weapon, they are charged with carrying a concealed weapon and brought to the Natchez Police Department,&uot; said Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins.

The school district not only had 13 weapon possessions in 2002-03, it also had 13 in 2001-02.

But, Barnett said the school has implemented things to deter such behavior and he said there has been improvement.

Especially since the school brought in School Resource Officers, paid for by grants, to bring police officers into the schools. Right now, the district has two at Natchez High School, one at Central Alternative School and one at Robert Lewis Middle School.

&uot;You know these guys are here, it makes a difference,&uot; Barnett said.

Each time a student is found with a weapon on campus, Barnett said the information is immediately sent to the State Department of Education.

At the district level, the student is recommended for a discipline hearing. Barnett said the committee, made up of administrators that do not know the student and do not work at the school the student attends, looks at each case individually.

&uot;You have to consider whether they knew they had it,&uot; Barnett said, saying, for instance, the child may have put on someone else’s coat that had a box cutter in the pocket.

But, unless they are found innocent, Barnett said most cases end in expulsion for one calendar year and the student is placed at Central. This way, the student is still receiving their education.

If the weapon was a gun, Barnett said, the student might not have the same option, to stay in a school setting.

Even though the number of weapon possessions is fourth in the state, Barnett said he does not think the district needs to install metal detectors.

&uot;Yes, we are concerned,&uot; Barnett said. &uot;One weapon is too many.&uot;

But &uot;I don’t think we need a police state &045; to search everybody.&uot;

At the alternative school, all students do go through a metal detector but at the other schools, the detectors are used at the discretion of the principal.

&uot;We do not check students at random,&uot; Barnett said. But we &uot;could do it if you wanted to,&uot; like if the principal had a tip that someone was carrying a weapon.

There are cameras at the middle school, high school and alternative school. But, Barnett said, the district has not implemented anything new to deter weapons on campus.