Appalled is the only word I can use to describe my reaction to the latest round of redistricting efforts by the Fayette County Board of Education.

According to the FCBOE information, Bennett’s Mill Middle School will open next year and a new high school on Ga. Highway 54 between McIntosh and Fayette County high schools will open in 2010 or 2011.

Both these schools could impact my child. She was affected by a redistricting in elementary school only two years ago and now faces the possibility of being moved out of her neighborhood middle school next year. Finally, in her junior or senior year, she faces yet another move into a new high school.

Not only is it inexcusable for my child, it is inexcusable for any child in our community.

What exactly is it that we, as adult leaders of community, are modeling to our students?

1. Community doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that it is irrelevant if they live three or four blocks away from their neighborhood schools. Because the numbers are most important and the only acceptable criteria, we will bus students several miles to an alternate school.

2. Friends and school ties don’t matter. We are telling our students that even though their parents have moved to Fayette County to give their children a stable school environment, it is okay to routinely move students around because of the numbers. Children are resilient; they’ll adjust, repeatedly, if necessary.

3. Lifestyle doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that even though their parents have moved to Peachtree City and other Fayette neighborhoods because they value the community and alternative transportation, this is unimportant to their development and education.

4. Ecology doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that we do not respect our environment. Because of the numbers, we would rather increase transportation costs, increase traffic on roads that were not built for intense school-related traffic, contribute to the overuse of gasoline, and adversely affect the air quality of our community.

5. Independence doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that even though the advantage of living close to schools and work is that they can use golf carts and not rely on their parents for transportation, it’s irrelevant. We’d rather they use their discretionary time being bused to schools several miles from their home and be dependent on their parents for transportation.

6. Tradition doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that it doesn’t matter what school they go to. In fact, if several kids in one family go to different schools, it’s okay because we stick to the numbers. And, we’re willing to transfer large numbers of students to other schools which will affect years and years of work that has gone into enhancing test scores and nationally recognized programs such as Science Olympiad, band, chorus and orchestra.

7. Academic excellence doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that, because of the numbers, we are going to shift students all over the county. This shift will adversely affect our standardized test scores and established programs. We are telling our students, that because of the numbers, we are willing to jeopardize touchstones such as the school state rankings our students have established on standardized tests such as the SAT, end of course testing and graduation exams.

8. Supporting the local school board doesn’t matter. We are telling our students that it will do us absolutely no good to approve local school board initiatives because redistricting can occur anytime and anywhere, disrupting students, families, teachers, and school communities. We can expect the local school board to violate our public trust.

9. Higher school taxes don’t matter. We are telling our students that it doesn’t matter how many school bonds we approve, we are not going to have a stable, community-oriented school system.

10. It’s okay to be a victim. We are telling our students that it’s okay to continue to use the excuse that we’re a growing community. In fact, we can use this excuse for any number of years and use the city, county and developers as our excuse for a lack of coordination and relevant strategic planning.

Here are a few facts that bear consideration:

1. Since we moved to Peachtree City in 2001, we have seen three redistricting efforts.

2. A recent St. Petersburg Times article reported on the extremely negative community response to a local school board tax increase from 40 percent in 1999 to 52 percent in 2006. In our most recent tax bill (due Nov. 15), 66 percent is for the Fayette County Board of Education.

3. The FCBOE school capacities and enrollment figures clearly show that the the middle schools are under capacity this year, yet plans proceed to open Bennett’s Mill with only 540 students (total capacity of 1,200). Clearly it is a school that is not justified by the numbers.

4. The new and proposed middle and high schools are in the wrong place. Growth is happening in the Whitewater and Starr’s Mill areas. However, the new middle school and high school sites are both off of Hwy. 54 between Peachtree City and Fayetteville.

Other planned developments in a suggested Peachtree City West Village and in Tyrone also do not logically feed into new schools on Hwy. 54. The new developments planned along Hwy. 54 should feed into underutilized schools in the central part of the county.

5. One of the major action items in the 2006 FCBOE Strategic Plan is to construct school facilities. The plan states that the FCBOE “will construct a new middle school, two elementary schools and three additions over the next five years.” There is no mention of the high school site on Hwy. 54. Why then is this being used as a primary target for redistricting our students?

Here is what we should be telling our students:

1. We care about your school experience. In fact, this supports one of the primary belief statements of the FCBOE: “Schools exist for the development of the whole child.” Redistricting is a disruptive process which will occur only when necessary and within the context of a long-term plan.

2. We understand that stability is important. We will develop and work from a strategic plan that incorporates verifiable information from all factions that could influence the FCBOE plans to provide an excellent education for its students. This ideal supports another of the primary beliefs in the FCBOE 2006 Strategic Plan: “All children can learn and develop in a supportive, nurturing environment.”

3. The school board will take the lead. The FCBOE will establish and foster communication among local cities, developers and the county to ensure a stable environment for our students and sensible growth of schools and redistricting efforts.

4. Local government will take an active role. Our local cities and county will not approve any annexation or development plans without an environmental impact study specifically related to our local school district and communities.

5. Developers will accept responsibility for the future of our children. Our local cities and county will not approve any annexation or development plans without ensuring that land is available specifically where needed to guarantee that our children have community schools close to their homes.

The residents of Fayette County expect nothing less. The responsibility is one shared by the Board of Education, developers and the city and county governments. We have a wonderful community. All parties should work together to keep it that way.

Let’s remember that our tax dollars make our elected and paid government and school officials accountable to the needs of the local residents. The vast majority of current Fayette County residents have been enticed to relocate to Fayette County because of its ambiance, lifestyle options, and educational system. We have a right to demand that these expectations are met without compromise.

Tami Morris
tami (at) ptpathfinder.com