It’s a new day in the Natchez-Adams School District. That was the message delivered at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

Approximately one month into the new school year and administrators are hopeful and optimistic that the district will continue to improve in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Superintendent Fred Butcher reported that attendance levels have been up and suspension rates down over prior years.

Some board members also reporting personally seeing good things in classrooms they visited over the past several weeks.

We applaud the positive changes and celebrate the hard work, training and personnel recruiting that were necessary steps to improving the district.

Perhaps one of the best things the district has going for it is Butcher, a well-seasoned, local superintendent who has provided solid, stable leadership for the district that had been battered around for several years, rocked by scandal, discipline and legal troubles.

All of that is behind them, water under the bridge as it were.

And from our perspective, the district is full steam ahead toward steady improvement and the community will be cheering them along the way.