While Fayette schools increasingly face gang activity and drug use, many of its students have two things in common, according to Superintendent Dave Brotherton: "Too much money and too much free time."

Many of the problems in Fayette schools simply reflect problems with parents and the community, he said.

His comments came at Monday's luncheon meeting of the Fayette County Human Resource Council, where members heard Brotherton and School Board Member Connie Hale defend the school system and the proactive approach they are taking to confront increased drug use, gang activity and weapons possession among students.

It's clear to Fayette County school officials and human resource providers that the county is changing, and it's not all for the better.

"The school system is concerned about scores and rankings," said Dr. Steve Rasmussen, council president, while overlooking "significant problems."

"Where are we headed?" Rasmussen asked rhetorically.

"It's not just test scores we're concerned about," Hale said. She cited the existence of counseling programs in all the schools, adding, "Our teachers and counselors are doing the best job they can do." Hale added, "A lot of this goes back to the home. Parenting is not done as it was in the past."

Brotherton said he disagreed with allegations that the school district is falling short in meeting the needs of its students. "Schools are an absolute reflection of the community they serve," he said. Drugs and violence are not the result of the school environment, he said, it comes from the community.

"We have a mindset of pointing the finger," he said. "We all share responsibility. Clearly things are changing."

Brotherton referred to the DeKalb County School System as an example of a community which 25 years ago served as the "epitome of the model district." "They went through significant changes; they had a serious shakeout. Values and standards changed. It's taken them 25 years to come full circle," he said.

He used Gwinnett County as another example of how school districts evolve in times of rapid growth and change. "We are a miniature Gwinnett," he said. "Gwinnett is in the early stages of what DeKalb County went through. We are in the early, early stages. Do we have problems? Absolutely. Will it get better? I'm not sure. It will take a cooperative, collaborative effort on the part of all the stakeholders," Brotherton said.

"Too much money and too much free time," were two aspects of the community which contributed to the social problems facing students today, Brotherton said.

Fayette County has the highest median income of any county in the state. Brotherton said that in 1995 the median family income was $66,000. That figure has risen to $77,000 according to statistics.

"We have a relatively sophisticated population. Children come to us with a relatively good base. They have well-educated parents and a broad base of experience... Education is a model of input and output. When you put good raw material in, a good product comes out," Brotherton said, referring to students.

He admitted that "serious inappropriate behavior is on the upswing, and we've seen more weapons," but Brotherton added that students were "less likely to be exposed in school to drugs and alcohol" than if they were out in the community. "We are very vigilant and quick to deal with issues when they happen."

Yes, there is gang related activity in Fayette County, according to Brotherton. " We take it seriously. We do everything we can to offset it."

He said the school district maintains close relationships with the county and municipal law enforcement agencies. "If something goes down on a Saturday night that has ramifications on one of the schools, we know about it," he said. "We're doing things in a proactive way to address these issues," he said.

"We have a progressive discipline plan in place," he said, referring to the Fayette County School System Guideline for Student Behavior.

Brotherton told a story of his own high school experience in the 1950s when he "played hooky" with some friends and took off to play pool. His penalty was a three-day school expulsion or a "whipping." He chose the whipping.

"That ended it," he said. "Things have changed. It's rare to have a week go by when we don't have a parent come into the office with a lawyer in tow. The board of education spends untold hours in hearings," he said.

"I reject the notion that we're not doing anything. I reject the notion that we don't care." Brotherton said society as a whole must return to a "cohesive set of values" or the result will be "further deterioration and erosion of the family unit."

Student Services Coordinator Karen Spangler outlined the spectrum of programs offered to parents and students through the schools including STEP, (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting), the lunch and learn series, peer mediation and peer helpers in the schools.

It was agreed by the council and invited educational administrators that a strategy to tie in all the agencies and departments involved with children and families be devised to address the festering issues affecting Fayette County youth.