Carroll Tech President Janet Ayres came calling on the Coweta County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to reassure the county's leaders of the school's commitment to the county.

Ayres' appearance was a result of a series of newspaper articles indicating the technical school might be softening on its earlier promise to help staff the county's new vocational school at Central Middle School set to open in the fall of 2000.

In her comments to the commissioners, Ayres stressed the school had always been committed to Coweta County and outlined some of the programs the school conducts throughout the county.

Currently, 700 students are enrolled in the school's adult education program at several sites throughout the county. Last year, the technical school trained 214 people from eight different companies in the county in various disciplines.

Ayres pointed out the school has spent more than $184,000 since 1998 in supporting the school's functions in the county and said the school still remains very active in formulating the curriculum and the staffing functions at the new Central Educational Center.

She told the commissioners that she was meeting with Superintendent of Education Richard Brooks this week to look at the physical layout of the facility and said the school really could not commit to anything until she sees how much physical space the school system will allocate her school.

"We're a guest at their facility. We're not withholding financial support and at no time were we ever asked to place equipment at the school," she said.

Commissioner Robert Wood thanked Ayres for talking to the commission, but said he wanted to do whatever is possible to secure a completely independent technical school for the county's students.

"We're just underserved," he said.

Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter took exception to the fact that the technical school was considering adding a second campus in Bremen, instead of Coweta County.

"I can count and that makes two in Carroll County and none here," he said.

Ayres responded by saying the school had always been looking to add a north campus, but would be more than willing to locate in the county if the county was willing to donate land and in-kind services.

"We've offered that before. Probably before you were at the school," Hunter quipped.