NATCHEZ — Results of a federal discrimination lawsuit last week against the county’s public school system prompted county supervisors to join Supervisor David Carter in his call for changes in school district’s administration.

Members of the Natchez Board of Aldermen, meanwhile, voiced their support for changing the Natchez-Adams School District’s board from an appointed to an elected body.

Carter made his comments Monday, saying the recent decision by a civil jury to award former principal Cindy Idom more than $370,000 in damages against the NASD, Superintendent Frederick Hill and Assistant Superintendent Tanisha Smith, should prompt the board to go on record as “being opposed” to the school district administration.

The jury’s award was ased on Idom’s claim that race played a role in her July 2013 forced resignation.

Supervisor Mike Lazarus said he agreed with Carter’s sentiments and that Hill should be dismissed “immediately.”

“If he is guilty of discrimination — and obviously he is — we don’t need that in the school system,” Lazarus said.

“We need to get the best person in the system we can to help the kids.”

Supervisor Calvin Butler said he, too, thought a change should be made at the superintendent’s level, but he was concerned about legal ramifications.

“Here is the catch-22 on that situation,” Butler said. “They renewed his contract for three years (in June), so if he doesn’t resign and is terminated, the issue to resolve will be the remainder of his contract.

“I think something needs to be done, but how can it be done legally and not put the taxpayers at a liability to compensate him for his contract.”

Supervisor Angela Hutchins said she likewise believes something should be done.

“We have always said there needs to be some change in the school system as far as the administration, the superintendent goes, but the only way that change can come about is through the appointed school board members,” she said.

Which takes things to Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis’s comments Tuesday.

While Arceneaux-Mathis did not directly allude to the jury verdict in her board’s meeting Tuesday, Arceneaux-Mathis said she felt it was time for the area governments to pursue a change in how the board is appointed — rather than having the city and county boards appoint the members, have the voters do it instead.

Arceneaux-Mathis could not be reached for comment to clarify why she brought up the change, but Alderman Rickey Gray — who is set to take a seat on the board of supervisors in January — said the board of aldermen has gone on record in the past as wanting change at the school district.

But past efforts to remove appointed school board members have not proven legal, Gray said, and, “I don’t know what we could do other than try to get an elected school board.”

Gray said having such a lawsuit prevail against the district, “doesn’t look good on the school district, the city, the county or the community.

“I don’t know what kind of message it sends to other people about this community. If people remember the last thing about this town was a race discrimination trial, that doesn’t look good.”

Alderman Mark Fortenbery said he supports the last member the aldermen appointed to the school board, Amos James.

“Mr. James was a good one to have on there, but I would be in favor of an elected school board,” he said.

Fortenbery said the aldermen can’t ask Hill to step down, but the issue is one that needs to be looked at.

“I wouldn’t ask him to step down personally, but the school board might need to step up and start looking at it, because they have the authority to do that.”

Alderwoman Sarah Smith said the lawsuit indicated some serious problems that would hinder the superintendent’s ability to do his job effectively.

“The unfortunate thing is the scores are starting to improve,” she said. “You have teachers who have to trust that the right things will be done, and this make it difficult for that trust to exist.”

But Smith said she had some reservations about moving for an elected board.

“Performance is typically no better one way or the other,” she said. “It takes (the appointment) off us, and you want people to answer to the public as well, but you don’t want to bring politics into education. There are pros and cons, and I don’t know what the best answer is.”

Supervisor Darryl Grennell said he didn’t know if the lawsuit could ultimately make a difference in the argument for an elected school board, but he has long advocated for such a change anyway because the school district can levy taxes but isn’t directly accountable to voters.

Hutchins agreed with Grennell, saying the ability of voters to reappoint or remove members without having to go through a board and wait for a school board member’s term to expire was key.

“If they feel that person doesn’t work out, they have a right to put them out, so my thing is the same way with any other elected official – if they are not doing in the best interest of they kids, they have the right to not elect them,” she said. “With appointments, it can become political.”

Lazarus said he has some reservations about an elected school board, because — though term appointments can be problematic — it at least allows government boards to vet candidates.

“We can pick people we feel are qualified, but if you put an election out there, there is no qualification, and anybody can run,” he said. “I am not happy with the way things are now, but I am not sure we will be better off with an elected school board.”

Grennell said he is certain the supervisors will before the end of the year adopt a resolution asking the state Legislature to take up local-private legislation that will allow the change.

Aldermen Tony Fields and Dan Dillard could not be reached for comment Wednesday.