By Christian Coffman

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — After being absent for several years, AmeriCorps counselors will be back in classrooms in the Natchez-Adams School District.

The school district recently approved the addition of six counselors for McLaurin, Frazier, and Susie B. West elementary schools to serve as reading interventionists.

The AmeriCorps members will help students in kindergarten through third grade.

McLaurin Elementary School Principal Britaney Cheatham said the organization is dedicated to helping students read.

“AmeriCorps is a national service organization dedicated to providing training and professional development to hard working individuals to increase literacy in (students),” Cheatham said.

AmeriCorps members commit to full-time or part-time positions funded through nonprofit community organizations and public agencies.

Cheatham said the partnership between AmeriCorps and NASD would cost $6,300 per instructor, and instructors will have to commit to 1,700 service hours.

Cheatham said a partnership once existed between the school district and Alcorn State University when the college was one of Natchez’s regional AmeriCorps sites.

“It’s something that we’re revitalizing … between AmeriCorps and the school district,” Cheatham said.

State Director for AmeriCorps Ronjanett Taylor said the organization left the school district at the conclusion of the 2012-13 school year because of funding problems.

“We were sad to have to discontinue at that time,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the literacy tutors will help during school hours.

Taylor said many members want to be teachers and the program gives them an opportunity to be in a school environment.

“The members are there to serve students struggling with reading,” Taylor said. “They engage their students in community service projects …They’re important to strengthening the home and school connection.”

Taylor said the program is funded through an AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

“Once we found we were funded by (the grant), we were delighted to have NASD back as a partner,” Taylor said.