By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

Classroom additions to Whitewater, Booth and Fayette middle schools may be under construction by late summer if the State Board of Education approves a funding plan that would cost the Fayette County School Board $1 million to $2 million in matching funds.

Mike Satterfield, facilities director for the county schools and cochairman of the newly endorsed Facilities Advisory and Action Committees, introduced the plan to the school board at Monday night's meeting. In essence, the proposal would use middle school growth funds, which are part of the state's regular capital outlay funds, as opposed to lottery exceptional growth funds, which are more restrictive.

This approach would ease rapid growth pains at the middle schools, according to Satterfield, and cost the school board a fraction of the $9 million required in matching funds to build a brand new middle school. Although the plan is merely a stop-gap measure, the board unanimously agreed it was a “great idea.”

The new approach came about as a result of the impending loss of $2.7 million in lottery growth funds for a new elementary school because the school board cannot provide the estimated $5 million in matching funds to execute the project.

An application to the state for $3.9 million in regular capital outlay funds to build a brand new middle school is still pending, but $9 million in local funds would be necessary to access it, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2001.

Satterfield acknowledged that a new school will still be needed in the future, but could be delayed until sufficient local matching funds are available.

The addition plan would provide space for 600-700 students by the beginning of the 2001 school year, Satterfield said.

The next step is to get state approval. After speaking initially to Dr. Jerry Rochelle, director of the Georgia Facilities Services Unit, Satterfield said, “He has indicated that this option may be possible.”

According to estimates in the schools' five-year facilities study, by 2004 the middle schools will be 1,305 students over capacity, the elementary schools 2,177 students over and the high schools 218 students above capacity.

These figures are based on the state formulas.

In other business, the board was updated on revisions in the proposed budget for next year. School finance director Jim Stephens said the budget would be presented in its final format June 5.

The proposed changes include:

37 new teaching positions.

Uniform salary scale with adjustments for classified or non-teaching positions.

19 nurses positions.

Seven new bus drivers.

$1 million for land acquisition.

$1.5 million for new facilities.

$1.2 million for 26 new buses under a lease-purchase plan.

$ 2.5 million for health insurance benefits.