NATCHEZ — The grounds behind Natchez High should start looking a bit fancier soon.

On Dec. 11, The Natchez-Adams County School Board gave Natchez High Athletic Director Fred Butcher the go-ahead to design a plan and accept bids for the installation of a new track.

Butcher, who is in the process of putting together all the specifications of what the track needs, said proposal should be finalized and ready for bids by Jan. 1.

He said he hopes for three to five different bids, most likely from out of state.

“There are not a lot of folks that specialize in laying tracks,” Butcher said.

He estimated the new track would cost the school district about $200,000.

He said it would be cheaper to just fix the surface of the track, but that would not correct the problem.

“What we’re going to recommend is cutting the asphalt down 1 to 2 inches and completely re-laying the whole thing,” he said. “Right now on the surface there are some small cracks that come from the under layer. We feel like if we don’t cut it back down and re-lay a new layer of asphalt, it would be a moot point.”

Natchez High has not hosted a meet since 2001, according to track coach Larry Wesley.

Since then, the Bulldogs have had to travel to every meet — usually about 10 per year.

Wesley said he’s tired of being on the road.

“We’ve won five state championships since I’ve been here, and that’s without the track being fixed,” Wesley said. “We win on the road, but maybe when we get (the new track) we’ll be even better.”

The current track is a collegiate style and boasts metal rails on the edge as well as a steeplechase.

Wesley and Butcher both said very few schools in the state have that feature, and Natchez plans to keep that aspect of the old track.

“We want to restore it to its previous condition,” Butcher said. “When it was first built, this track was one of the best in the state.”

Butcher said when the new track is finished, Natchez High will be able to host district — and possibly even state — meets, which will bring revenue to the community in the form of hotel and restaurant patronage.

He said the school plans to hire an engineer to oversee the project and make sure everything is done correctly.

Wesley said he’d like to see a new time system installed.

But he said he won’t hold his breath for anything until he sees the track being built.

“Apparently it’s going to happen, but what date, I don’t know,” he said. “Until I see the first brick broken, I won’t get my hopes up. But I will be real excited (when it happens).”