By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

Site preparations for Our Lady of Victory School on Kirkley Road in Tyrone are underway with plans to open for the 1999 school year.

Ground was broken in June by Archbishop John F. Donoghue, of the Atlanta archdiocese, for Fayette County's first Catholic elementary school. The facility will serve 250 students in kindergarten through eighth grade drawn from five Catholic parishes in Fayette, Fulton, Clayton and Coweta counties.

Land has been secured for Our Lady of Mercy High School in Fayette County at the intersection of Ga. Highway 138 and Evander Holyfield Highway, with designs for a 400 student facility forthcoming. Opening is set for the school year 2000.

According to Susan Kelly, director of development for the archdiocese, one of the most notable things about Our Lady of Victory is its unique design, which features a family center, an open shared area, surrounded by several classrooms.

"A lot of work went into this," Kelly said. The concept was the result of a consensus of clergy, parents, teachers and principals who had input into the plans. The idea of a shared environment typifies the community aspect of the Catholic faith, Kelly explained.

"The children get to know the children in other grades they are interacting with on more than a passing basis," Kelly said. "Classes can work on a unit together and it will be a great area for stories."

Principal for the new school will be Nanci Pearson, who was the first lay principal for St. Anthony's School in Atlanta. She also taught at the Marist School in Atlanta for eight years. Pearson currently occupies an office in the Catholic Center where parents seeking information about enrollment can call 404-888-7833.

Children from a Catholic families active in their parishes will be accepted first. Kelly said non-Catholic students will be accepted as space permits. Tuition per year will be $3,950. There is also a "healthy endowment" for tuition assistance for those who qualify, according to Kelly.