Wednesday, August 13, 2003
|
Wednesday, August 13, 2003 |
School openings almost flawless, officials sayBy J. FRANK
LYNCH
Concerns about changes in bus routes to elementary school students didn't completely overshadow the opening day bright spots for Fayette schools on Monday. According to Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, school district spokesman, the county's two newest schools opened almost flawlessly, even though both were facing unusual circumstances. At Crabapple Lane Elementary in north Peachtree City, a Monday morning ribbon cutting by Principal Doe Evans helped spell relief after five days of marathon work from staff, parents and volunteers to get the school ready. The fire marshal okayed occupancy permits for the building just last Wednesday. Even so, a scrubbed and polished Crabapple welcomed nearly 500 students in grades K-5 Monday. And few if any glitches were reported on the first day of class at the county's newest high school, Whitewater, which is hosting freshmen only this year at the LaFayette Educational Center. To prevent the younger high schoolers from mixing with the 2,000-plus Fayette High student population across the street, Whitewater students start and end their day about 30 minutes earlier than the other high schools. As a side result, traffic congestion around the school complex isn't as bad as some had feared. That wasn't the case at McIntosh High, where workers were still laying sod and stripping off parking spots Monday afternoon while two Peachtree City police officers worked to move vehicles in and out of the school's newly configured parking lots. With a new gym set to start construction this fall, a large section of the McIntosh lot is off limits. The result is an obstacle-course-like traffic flow that has seniors going one way, underclassmen another, and parents wanting to pick up or drop of heading down the middle of a new central driveway. District facilities director Mike Satterfield was on the campus Monday afternoon trying to work out a solution. Part of the problem Monday morning was general lack of knowledge about where to go, a situation which forced McIntosh assistant principals onto the street to welcome each student as they drove up and to tell them which way to go. Most concerns about first-day traffic were dismissed as routine for the restart of school, and things were expected to become somewhat normal by week's end, Berry-Dreisbach suggested. The district welcomed nearly 21,000 students on the first day, despite it being the earliest school year opening on record by a day. Last year, school started Aug. 12 Official first-week enrollment reports will be available next week, Berry-Dreisbach said.
|
||