Wednesday, October 25, 2000
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Wednesday, October 25, 2000 |
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School bond supporters feeling upbeat By PAT NEWMAN
The outlook for passage of the $65 million bond for Fayette County School construction is positive, according to Sam Burch, cochairman with Trina Berry of the Community Coalition for Fayette Schools. The bond issue will be the last item on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot and despite the optimism among coalition members, there is some trepidation that voters may not follow through to the third and last page of the ballot. "They've got to stick with it," Burch said Monday night following a sparsely attended town hall on the bond referendum. He and the coalition members have been crisscrossing the county, addressing civic groups and community organizations about the school system's need for the $65 million to build three new elementary schools, one new high school and upgrade the rewiring, relighting, kitchens and restrooms at a number of older school facilities. A brochure outlining the projects and the reasons why voters should vote yes on the bond Nov. 7 are being distributed at coalition presentations and at football games played at the county's four secondary schools. Monday night's gathering at Sams Auditorium focused on some of the frequently asked questions by citizens unclear about the need and ramifications of the bond. For instance, where will the new schools be built? Mike Satterfield, facilities director for Fayette County Schools, said no land has been purchased to date, but the new schools would most likely be located in areas of the county experiencing the highest rate of growth. "There is tremendous growth in Kedron, Tyrone and Burch elementaries," Satterfield said. Therefore, one elementary would be likely situated along the Ga. Highway 74 corridor, he noted. The development of 1,100 apartments and homes in the West Village of Peachtree City, adjacent to Wynnmeade subdivision, would probably require another elementary. The third elementary would probably be located between Fayetteville and Brooks, according to Satterfield. The new high school is slated for somewhere south of Fayetteville, he added. Why not go to year-round school to ease overcrowding ? Stuart Bennett, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, clarified the difference between year-round school and the trimester system. "Year-round school does not help overcrowding," he said. Basically, the same number of students go 12 months a year with staggered breaks. A trimester system, however, is the stopgap measure many school systems have used to temporarily deal with overcrowding. With the academic year broken into thirds, students attend classes two out of three semesters. Bennett noted that this approach is very stressful on families with children in two or three different schools and poses some real logistical problems. A survey conducted among parents and citizens rated it as a last resort in the list of options dealing with overcrowding. What about redistricting? "Buckle your seatbelts; it will be a rough ride," Bennett predicted. "We will weigh the impact of any decision we make, and look at all the options available to us. We should be make a recommendation to the board in spring," he said, regarding how the redistricting will go. Fayette County High School is likely to be the first school to fall into the redistricting plan, due to its serious overcrowding. With Sandy Creek High School under capacity, it is able to absorb several hundred more students. Berry pointed out that this would require relocating the evening high school which is currently housed at Sandy Creek. If the bond passes, when will construction begin? "Provided we have a suitable site [approximately 20 acres], we can begin on the elementary schools fairly quickly," Satterfield said, predicting a spring bid-out time. Why can't we just add on to existing schools? Satterfield said additions would "push the limits of the core facility" meaning that media centers, cafeterias, restrooms and corridors would be inadequate in size to accommodate more children. Also, the state's instructional philosophy is for smaller schools, Bennett said. "It's not any cheaper to run a big school," he added.
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