NATCHEZ — At the first board meeting of the new school year Natchez-Adams School Board President Norris Edney kicked things of with a challenge.

“Let’s get it done right,” Edney said about the new school year.

Edney called for those working for the district to commit themselves to goals and work for the betterment of the district’s students.

“No excuses,” he said.

One of the board’s first actions on Thursday was to create an opening for a fulltime psychometrist.

Adrienne Bushell, the district’s director of special services, said the psychometrist would conduct testing of students that need to be placed in special education classes and general grade placement.

“We’d like to fill the position as soon as possible,” she said.

The district currently contracts with a part-time psychometrist.

The part-time psychometrist cannot do educational testing on regular students or testing on students to place them in advanced classes.

District Superintendent Anthony Morris also notified the board of the district’s test results for the ACT test.

Morris reported that students in the 2008 graduating class scored better in every category than students graduating in the 2007 class.

The ACT tests English, math, reading and science.

Morris said he was very pleased with the district’s performance on the test.

He attributed the hike to a greater number of students participating in the Mississippi Scholars program.

The program calls for more rigorous course work, which Morris said can boost ACT scores.

In other news the board also accepted an addendum to their contract with Durham School Services.

Durham provides bus services to the district and raised their rate by 2.8 percent.

The raise was not unexpected and was previously agreed upon then the district signed their contract with Durham in 2006.

Durham will now bill the district $205.77 per day for busses transporting 27-72 students.