By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

The Air Force may provide a better hope of getting a Reserve Officer Training Corps program into a Fayette County school.

A Junior ROTC program may be in place at Sandy Creek High School within two years, according to Stuart Bennett, an assistant superintendent with the Fayette County School System.

Bennett told the Board of Education Monday night that after a “busy couple weeks,” he has gotten support from U.S. senators Max Cleland and Paul Coverdell and U.S. Rep. Mac Collins to move forward with a JROTC program. “They are all willing to write letters, but I didn't get the sense that it would speed it up,” Bennett said.

Fayette schools are currently 230th on the U.S. Department of Defense list for districts wishing to initiate Army ROTC programs. Bennett said he also is working to get in line for an Air Force ROTC program after learning that the Air Force is stepping up its number of ROTC participants. “There are 44 ahead of us,” Bennett said.

Bennett said that when the system finally receives a contract offer, it will be necessary to hire an instructor to prepare for the actual implementation, about a year in advance.

Earlier this month, the board balked at superintendent Dr. John DeCotis' recommendation to hire a part-time consultant to expedite the program. “We felt we needed someone knowledgeable about the program,” DeCotis said. “They [the government] don't give it to you all spelled out.” News of the situation prompted a number of military officers to contact the school board offering information and guidance.

Bennett said the programs would be applied for Sandy Creek High School because it has the necessary room and drill space. He estimated about 3,000 square feet of classroom space would be necessary to house a JROTC program.

In other business, the board accepted a recommendation from DeCotis to form a citizens' overview committee to assist with management of its special purpose local option sales tax if voters approved the tax yesterday (after press time), and to help with other timely issues if it failed. Results of Tuesday's vote are available on The Citizen's web page at www.thecitizennews.com.

“I believe it would be in our best interest to support such an effort. This committee will keep the citizens involved in our program and can give us valuable support,” DeCotis said.

The board also heard a presentation from a representative of Energy Education, a consulting company that helps school district personnel restructure their energy management habits. Glenn Gaines, spokesman for the company, estimated the school district could save $3.5 million over a seven-year period with their “people approach” plan.

“There is some difference of opinion from the staff about this,” DeCotis said at the close of the presentation. “But we thought it was worth exploring. Any way we can save money, we're willing to look at,” he said.

The board received copies of the curriculum guide to accompany the newly adopted social studies texts purchased last spring. Glenn Walker, social studies coordinator for the district, said the teacher-written guides “align what is being taught to what is being tested. It's aligned to the state curriculum and the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills),” Walker said. He noted that all teachers will use the same curriculum. Copies of the social studies curriculum will be on display at the school board office for public perusal.

Finally, the board:

” Set the 1999-2000 graduation times for Sandy Creek at 6 p.m., McIntosh at 7 p.m. Fayette County at 8 p.m. and Starr's Mill at 7 p.m.

” Approved three candidates to fill assistant principal slots: Marc Mickleboro at McIntosh High School, Liz Grove at North Fayette Elementary and Mike Duncan at Flat Rock Middle.

” Learned the school district has been accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission Inc. with a top rating.

” Accepted a $5,000 gift from Peachtree City for playground equipment at Huddleston Elementary School.