Wednesday, October 18, 2000
|
Wednesday, October 18, 2000 |
| School coalition
sets town hall meeting on bonds The Community Coalition for Fayette Schools will host a town hall meeting on a proposed bond referendum for school construction at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23 at the Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville. The referendum is included on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot. Members of the coalition are working to inform the public how the bond program would address a pressing need to build additional schools to resolve overcrowding in the community's classrooms. Sam Burch, co-chairman of the Community Coalition for Fayette Schools, said the town hall meeting is intended to give citizens an opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the proposed construction program, and the related bond referendum. Several school officials also will be on hand to discuss the program and answer questions from the audience, including schools Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis; Mike Satterfield, director of facilities services, and Jim Stephens, director of finance for the Fayette County School System. "This is a vital issue for our community, and we hope citizens who may want to know more about the schools' construction program or the bond referendum will take this opportunity to come and ask questions," said Trina Berry, co-chairman of the coalition. The proposed 10-year general obligation bond program would fund construction of three new elementary schools, a high school and upgrades and rewiring at several older schools. Most schools in the Fayette system are overcrowded, with more than 100 portables absorbing overflow from the classrooms. The Fayette Board of Education structured the financing and construction programs in response to community input, including a survey of more than 5,000 residents. The construction plan focuses on classrooms and instructional priorities, rather than amenities that respondents felt should be non-priority items, said Burch. Homeowners qualified for a homestead exemption for the elderly on school property taxes would also be exempt from the proposed bond tax. Additionally, the bond tax can be an itemized deduction on income taxes. Members of the coalition include parents, retirees, community activists, businessmen and businesswomen, as well as several members of a citizens' group that studied the school system's facilities needs during the past year. The group welcomes participation and assistance, said Burch. To join the coalition or for information, phone Burch at 770-461-5484 or 770-461-7380; or Berry at 770-461-1973. Civic clubs or other groups that would like to schedule a speaker from the coalition can phone 770-632-9260. Information about the bond referendum and the five-year facilities plan is available at the Fayette County Board of Education's web site: www.fcboe.org.
|
||