NATCHEZ &045; The long-promised teacher pay raise passed through its final formality Thursday and will soon show up in the pockets of Natchez-Adams educators.

The school board approved the average 8 percent pay raise in the form of the coming year’s salary schedule.

This is the final year of a five-year plan state legislators promised to teachers.

The raise was in question several times in the past year when the state faced a tight budget and numerous requests for money. Doubts were put to rest in late May when the legislators passed a state budget including the raises.

Last year’s portion of the raise was not funded by the state, leaving the local districts to come up with the money. This year’s raise is funded by the state, but the Mississippi Adequate Education Program was not fully funded.

Natchez teachers will receive between a 6 and 7 percent raise and teacher assistants will receive an $800 increase.

In other business at the meeting, the board heard a report from Silas Simmons auditor Wes Gore on this year’s audit.

&uot;Once again y’all have a clean operation,&uot; Gore said. &uot;Your financial statements are fairly presented. It’s the best possible report you can get.&uot;

The audit marked one finding about 16th section lands that have changed hands over the years. Board Attorney Bruce Kuehnle said the turnover was done by another board years ago.

Gore acknowledged that the land issue might be something that can’t be corrected.

Board President Norris Edney thanked the district staff that work to keep the finances in order.

&uot;Such a report is a complement to a number of people who are dedicated to keeping us in the straight and narrow,&uot; Edney said. &uot;Even principals and assistant principals, it all starts there and comes back around.&uot;

The board also agreed to get quotes from all local auditors and other interested parties to conduct an audit for the state in the next two years.