Friday, February 4, 2000
Controversial attendance zones headed for a Tuesday showdown

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

Next Tuesday's meeting of the Coweta County Board of Education could be one for the ages.

After nearly a month of debate and recall threats, the board will vote on the proposed attendance lines for seven of the county's elementary schools.

In comments late this week, superintendent of education Richard Brooks said he was studying the public comments on the lines and would probably recommend a few minor changes.

But the changes will be small. He said he does not want to ruin the integrity of what the system is trying to do.

When the lines were first released to the public, Brooks said the county was trying to create racially mixed schools that would better reflect the overall racial makeup of the school system.

For instance, Newnan Crossing, which is currently over 80 percent minority, will have a 37 percent minority population under the new lines. White Oak, with a 6 percent minority population, will increase to 24 percent next year.

Charges have been leveled against the board that the lines were being redrawn to help Pathway Communities sell more homes in the SummerGrove subdivision, which is next to Newnan Crossing.

But Brooks has consistently dismissed the charges and said the system is merely trying to accommodate the growth of the school system.

Last year, the system grew by more than 700 students and is expected to stay on that pace for quite some time.

Angry parents have flooded the board office with e-mails, but Brooks said that's to be expected.

“Anytime you affect a student, you're going to hear from those parents,” he said.

The board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Evans Middle School in Newnan.

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