Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Key only BoE member to face contest By J. FRANK LYNCH jflynch@TheCitizenNews.com Terri Smith of Post 1 and Janet Smola of Post 3 were each effectively reelected to second four-year terms on the Fayette County Board of Education last week when no one qualified to run against either Republican. That leaves Post 2’s Marion Key as the lone sitting board member facing a challenge this election season. Connie Leary of Peachtree City, active at Huddleston Elementary and a fixture at board meetings for several years, announced last month her campaign to unseat Key. Like Smith and Smola, Key will seek a second consecutive four-year term, though she served previously on the board in the 1990s. All three seats faced at least party challenges in 2000. All four women filed the required paperwork to run for public office at the Fayette County Republican Party headquarters on the first day of the week-long qualifying period, April 26. Because both are Republican, the race between Key and Leary will be settled in the July primary. That also means none of the board seats will be decided on the same ballot as a planned referendum to raise $69 million needed to build more classrooms. Even if their political fortunes had shared the ballot, none of the women asked said it was a concern. “It wouldn’t bother me,” Leary said after the April 19 board meeting. “I think the voters in Fayette County understand the need to build new classrooms.” Smith said she, too, thought local voters separate the issues, politics versus needs. “I wouldn’t want to put off having the tax initiative on the ballot this time around just because I’m up for reelection,” Smith said. She added, “This leaves me with a more relaxing summer.” Smith, 40, a Fayette County native and Brooks resident, said she expected somebody to challenge her this summer. As board chair, she was the focus last August when budget cuts forced a reduction in school bus service. Dozens of angry parents addressing the board at an August meeting directed much of their ire at Smith, who was the only district official to speak in more than two hours of often tense comment. That controversy included the usual calls for “a change in leadership” and to “remember at the ballot box,” but Smith said most of the transportation concerns were eventually addressed. The lack of challengers tells Smith that the community has confidence in its school system, but she deflected the credit. “I really think that’s got to do with John DeCotis,” said Smith, suggesting that the superintendent completing his fifth year has a manner, style and people skills that maintain professionalism and get things done. “He manages to keep everything calm even if it is to the board’s credit,” she Smith. Said Smola in announcing her campaign earlier this year, “I feel honored working alongside this man who is so well-respected among Georgia’s educators. I want to do all I can to help him do his job.” DeCotis begins the last year of his current three-year contract on July 1. Smith said the board must declare its intentions to rehire DeCotis for another three-year period starting in 2005 this month, or else give him notice. There’s no debate, Smith said. “Of course we’re going to keep him,” she said. “We’d be crazy not to.”