By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

Fayette County School Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis passed out a survey recently at the community round table meeting asking attendees to answer five questions relating to use of space in the schools.

“We want to start exploring some options,” DeCotis said.

The survey comes on the heels of a failed one cent special purpose local option sales tax referendum. Options such as year-round school, double sessions, and redistricting may become a reality in the not too distant future as the school population grows and classrooms exceed capacity.

The survey was distributed to those attending the round table first, and will be given out to teachers, and eventually to parents of children attending county schools, DeCotis said.

The brief questionnaire uses a rating system, starting with zero for “no opinion” and progressing through the numbers with one (avoid at all costs), two (implement only as a last resort), three (not desirable, but acceptable) and four (use as a first option.)

Question 1: “When a school reaches capacity:

Trailers should be added to the campus.

The school should go on double sessions.

The district should be redrawn.

The school should operate year round with each child assigned to attend three of four quarters.

2. If double sessions should become a necessity:

Place only overcrowded schools on double sessions.

Place the entire system on double sessions.

3. If a year-round school schedule becomes a necessary alternative in one or more of our 26 schools:

Put only those overcrowded schools on the year-round schedule.

Put all schools on the year-round schedule at the same time.

4. When a school cannot handle any more trailers due to cafeteria size, hallway sizes, number of lockers, media center size and resources and other physical space/limitations:

Schedule double sessions at the school.

Redistrict to reallocate population.

Put the school on a year-round schedule.

5. To redistrict when most of our schools are at capacity really does not help; however, if necessary:

Redistrict based on current number of students.

Redistrict based on projected enrollment over the next few years.

DeCotis said he would also like to form a 12-member superintendent's discussion group that would meet about two or three times a year to talk about current issues facing the school district.