Wednesday, September 12, 2001
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Wednesday, September 12, 2001 |
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Trailers to be common sights at Fayette schools By DAVE HAMRICK
Don't expect to see those portable classrooms disappearing from Fayette schools anytime soon. "We're four or five years behind right now," said John DeCotis, superintendent of schools, as local Board of Education officials broke ground for the second of three new elementary schools planned as part of this year's bond referendum. "We'll reduce the number of trailers [with the new schools]," but we won't eliminate them," he said. "We're going to have to continually be behind the eight ball" for years to come, he said. School construction is behind the curve for a number of reasons, DeCotis said, including the fact that new people are moving into the county faster than schools can be built. Voters' rejection last year of a special sales tax to fund this latest round of school construction pushed construction further behind, he said. "We appreciate their support [of this year's bond]," he said, "because it got us out of a bad situation." Another factor is pressure from the state to reduce class sizes, DeCotis said. The state Legislature has passed laws requiring school systems to lower pupil-teacher ratio to 19 to one. Fayette has allowed some classes in upper grades with as many as 25 students, he said. "That reduces the capacity of the buildings. A school built for 600 may hold only 500 now," he said. According to planners at the Atlanta Regional Commission, Fayette is expected to keep growing until it reaches build-out, around 2020, and DeCotis said portable classrooms probably will be a reality at least until then. Members of the Board of Education, along with DeCotis and assistant superintendents Robert Oliver and Stuart Bennett and facilities director Mike Satterfield joined architects and engineers last week in the ground breaking ceremonies for the school on Ga. Highway 85 south at Lisbon Road. The school is under construction on a 149.4-acre site that includes room for a future high school. The 94,179-sq. ft. structure is expected to house 800 students and will have 47 classrooms plus art, music and physical education spaces. Architect Richard Burton of dwb architects-engineers inc. said those involved in the project are hoping to have the school ready for the 2002-2003 school year. "We're going to push real hard to have it ready," he said. The school will have a farm-sized front yard, he said, because the soils at the front of the property, along Hwy. 85, were most suitable for septic lines. "I think it will be a nice setting for the buildings ... it'll have a pretty view," he said. With minor changes due to new state regulations, the building will be identical to the Cleveland Elementary School, also under construction on Ga. Highway 54 at Lester and Huiett roads. The school board is pursuing purchase of a site for a third new elementary school, 54 acres on Ga. highway 74 north at Dogwood Trail.
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