NATCHEZ &045; Public schools reflect their community, and the community reflects its public schools. That’s the message from officials at the schools and in economic development, and right now it’s packaged in mostly good news.

Based on last year’s test scores, three of the four Natchez-Adams schools eligible for state rankings jumped a level. The fourth, Robert Lewis Middle School, went down.

&uot;The higher the school rating the better off we are in having perspective projects look at our area,&uot; Economic Development Authority board Chairman Woody Allen said.

And telling a story of improvement means even more, he said.

&uot;That’s a definite plus,&uot; he said. &uot;When you see it declining that will turn people away in a heartbeat.&uot;

&uot;These improved scores also create a foundation for these students to rise to an even higher level in the future,&uot; said Kaye Harris, Chamber of Commerce education chairwoman. &uot;As everyone involved in economic development knows, one of the primary things that new industry considers when locating in a city is the public school system.&uot;

Businesses looking at Natchez are concerned first with the actual site they’ll occupy, but very soon after, the schools come up, Allen said.

McLaurin Elementary, Morgantown Elementary and Natchez High School moved from level 2 under-performing schools to level 3 successful schools on the state’s 1-to-5 scale.

Though the move from level 3 to level 4 is labeled one of the hardest, Superintendent Anthony Morris said he doesn’t expect the growth to stop. &uot;Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I do think it’s realistic to keep going up,&uot; Morris said. &uot;But in order for that to happen it’s going to take more than us working hard in the school system.&uot;

&uot;Whether they have children in the school system or not, (locals) really do have to embrace us for us to go up,&uot; he said.

The schools need positive support; they need positive comments from community members, Morris said. A thriving Partners in Education program &045; more than 100 businesses and individuals &045; has to stay strong and grow. And people need to come to the schools. &uot;We constantly invite people to actually see what we are doing,&uot; Morris said. &uot;It helps not only our children but it helps our teachers to see people from the outside.&uot;

Morris said the yearly donation of dictionaries and visit from the Rotary Club is a &uot;tremendous thing&uot; for the children.

The rise in levels has been positive for schools’s morale, he said. “And it’s a good measuring stick; it’s good for them to look back and say what we did to make a difference.&uot;

But it’s the larger picture that really makes the difference, he said. &uot;It instills pride in everybody in the community about what the school is doing. We are really trying to make a difference, and in spite of all those accountability standards, we are making a difference.

&uot;I think it affects our image in a really comprehensive way.&uot;