With more than 200 angry parents, five television stations and four newspapers looking on, the Coweta County Board of Education approved a controversial redistricting plan for seven of its elementary schools Tuesday night.

After the 5-1 vote was cast, the room erupted into a chorus of boos, with several in the audience chanting “Recall the school board.” Police had to move in to help clear the room as many of the angry parents screamed their frustrations at the board.

The vote was the final act of nearly year-long opera that consumed school administrators, the school board and school officials.

The redistricting was done, according to school administrators, to shift the county's low-achieving students to other schools and to help prepare for the county's continuous growth.

But the parents who gathered Tuesday night at Evans Middle School in Newnan believed the system's motives were elsewhere.

“It's illegal and it's called busing,” said parent Michael Mayor in the comment section before the meeting began.

Emotional mom Tracy Borman said she was extremely disappointed with the school system.

“You're using our small children to try and get better test scores,” she said.

Peter Skrmetti asked why the board wanted public comment on the matter when it seemed the matter was already decided.

Many in the room said the impetus for the change was Pathway Communities, the development company that is developing the 2,500-home SummerGrove subdivision.

The new subdivision is next to Newnan Crossing Elementary School, which is the lowest ranking school in the system and also is currently more than 80 percent minority.

Under the approved lines, Newnan Crossing will decrease its minority population to just over 30 percent, while White Oak Elementary School will see its minority population rise from 6 percent to 24 percent.

The loudest applause during the comment section was for Jeffrey Norieka who said he knew what he would do if the board approved the lines.

“I obtained an application for recall from the superintendent of elections office today for board members Smith Pass, Harry Mullins, Beth Wagstaff, Bill Covington, Mike Sumner and Rick Melville. I will make it my duty as a citizen to collect the sponsors for the recall and obtain 30 percent of the registered voters' signatures needed in order to make this happen. You have the ability to stop that action,” he said.

After Norieka spoke, the board started deliberating the lines. Director of operations Doug Bennett recommended a few minor changes, including leaving all students on the Ga. Highway 154 corridor at their current school, Poplar Road.

Bill Covington made the motion to approve the lines and was the only board member who spoke.

Covington said the board had been struggling with this problem for over a year and had looked at all the options.

“We just want to make sure we treat all kids fairly,” he said.

The new lines passed 5-1, with Wade Corley casting the dissenting vote.

After the vote, parents left the meeting vowing the school board had not heard the last of the issue.

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