By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

What Fayette school officials want from school staff, parents and visitors to schools is simple, said Board of Education Chairman Debbie Condon: a little respect.

The board discussed a policy intended to maintain civil behavior on school grounds during a called session. “The policy simply says we want people to be respectful on our property,” said Condon.

School superintendent Dr. John DeCotis added,” We haven't had a problem with this in our schools, but it's difficult in a high stress society for people to remain calm and cool.” He added that school principals know how to handle volatile situations. “This puts it into a policy,” DeCotis said.

The proposed policy, which will be under review for 30 days, states:

“Members of the Fayette County School District staff should treat parents and other members of the public with respect, and expect the same in return. The district is committed to keeping schools and administrative offices free from disruptions, and to preventing unauthorized persons from entering school or district grounds.

“Accordingly, employees are expected to follow practices which promote mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among district employees, parents and the public in an effort to maintain a safe, harassment-free workplace for our students and staff. It is not intended to deprive any person of his or her rights to freedom of expression. In the interest of presenting teachers, other employees, parents and other adults as positive role models, the school system encourages positive communication and discourages volatile, hostile or aggressive actions.”

In other business, the board called a proposal by the Panther Athletic Booster Club to raise $150,000 to fund concrete bleachers at the Starr's Mill High School stadium under construction a “win-win situation.” Total cost of replacing the aluminum bleachers with concrete is $300,000, but according to Jimmy McCullough, booster club president, $150,000 has been pledged by the Fayette Community Foundation, a group of anonymous donors.

“There will be no incremental costs to the Board of Education,” he said. The boosters agreed to make up the difference in cost between the aluminum and concrete when it was learned that Leslie Contracting Inc. was having difficulty securing aluminum due to a worldwide shortage. Leslie has issued the PABC a two-year, interest-free note on the $150,000 and McCullough is confident his organization can muster the money. Their current budget is in excess of $100,000 and their fund-raising projects have full support of the PABC and the Starr's Mill Band Boosters.

Completion of the stadium is likely to be in February 2000. The uncertainty of obtaining the aluminum could have delayed the project even further.

The board also hired John Thompson as the school's director of transportation, replacing Bill Bonnett, who moved to a position at the state level. Thompson has been Troup County School Systems's transportation director since 1996.

Hired as the school district's purchasing agent was Fred Phillips, a former Peachtree City resident, employed for the last two years by Honeywell in Phoenix, Ariz.

Cheryl Hilderbrand, a reading and language arts consultant with the Griffin Regional Educational Services Agency, has been hired as the school district's reading coordinator.