By JOHN THOMPSON
Staff Writer

Do some Fayette County schools have “better stuff” than others? Yes, and that needs to change, asserts a report given Monday night to the Fayette County Board of Education.

After evaluating all of the county's school facilities, a committee recommended the school system adopt standards to provide equality of facilities for all students in Fayette County. No price tag was attached.

If the committee's recommendations are followed, parents and students could see new field houses at McIntosh High School, Sandy Creek High School and Starr's Mill High School, along with a new gym at McIntosh. Other recommendations included a track and stadium renovation at Fayette County High School and an auditorium at the Jenkins Road complex.

The proposals are not included in the current discussions about a $91 million package of new taxes expected to go before voters later this year.

The Facilities Equity Committee was created by the Fayette County Board of Education to give the board a handle on the state of the school facilities throughout the county.

After visiting each of the schools, the committee compiled a 20-page report outlining some of the group's concerns.

Committee member Donald Apking told board members Monday night that the committee had four major areas of concern.

Specifically, the committee wants to see certain questions answered and standards established for technology throughout the school system.

“How many computers per classroom? What kind of software should we get?” Apking asked.

Once a standard is established, Apking said, new computer purchases should be leased, instead of purchased.

Apking said the board also needs to look at updating the public address and telephone system in many of the schools.

The second area the committee wants addressed is security. The committee made recommendations for each facility and urged the board to address the security issue quickly.

Another area of concern to the committee was the landscaping at the schools. The group recommended that all landscape maintenance be subcontracted to keep the existing facilities in a presentable condition.

The final area of concern is the lack of storage at the schools. In order to free space at the schools, the committee recommended a central book depository for books so that each school can draw from the depository when the books are needed.

In its final conclusions, the committee also asked the board to pursue alternative financing to help meet the needs of the growing system.

“It is imperative that local participation — Peachtree City, Tyrone, Brooks and Fayetteville — is increased or initiated for schools in their domain,' the report concluded.