I think people are giving KC too much credit here and not giving enough credit to the very dedicated group of folks from Avalon who put together their case for staying at Booth - which KC did not get involved in at all by the way. From what I understand, KC was willing to make the change, so don't get on her case. You have to hand it to the other folks from Avalon who were well organized, worked hard and had a very professional approach to their case. These folks didn't whine or complain about how their children's absence from Booth will decimate that schools Science Olympiad Team. These people did a great job and teamed well with their neighbors to coordinate the effort among the affected RR neighborhoods. They succeeded in closing the deal and deserve the praise.

Was Avalon the only subdivision off of Robinson to be put back into the Booth Feeder?

Whitfield Farms and Robinson Woods Estates were also put back in. The 3 neighborhoods worked together in their effort to stay at Booth. Whitfield Farms is especially close to Booth.

Did they actually approve Inman Road? I was in the hallway outside the room and did not hear an actual decision about the elementary locations.

The opening is slated for 2008.

Cheers.

I found it. I'm sure there's a way to link that I haven't figured out yet. Maybe GR will come back for another tutorial.

Kinda sick now you know who JTF is.

Ms. Key is a snake and a liar?! I never heard her spewing any venom like you did in that post. Once again, if you'd have shown us the "fax" you used, then maybe we'd understand your wisdom in all of this. Shame on you.

Let's just take a look at the lack of respect that poor Marion received last night from her own coleagues of the FCBOE. If I was Janet Smola I would be extremely embarrassed. Janet showed her true colors at that meeting. She has an agenda to dismantle PTC. This agenda is shared by Greg Powers and definitely Sam and C.W.Campbell. Marion's agenda has been to protect children from being ping pong balls. The FCBOE should know that their days of free, unbridled power are going to end!! I personally will fight to change the system. I don't care how long it takes. I don't care if it takes me 20 years to have the constitution of the state of Georgia amended. There needs to be a system of checks and balances in place so that there is no legislative body that has that much control. Right now, the FCBOE is the end all be all. They decide not only school boundaries but also the post boundaries of the elective process. They make the rules to protect themselves. It is just another example of people in power protecting themselves. Just know that we the little people will triumph.

Ms. Marion is not part of the establishment. I have known her for years and watched her with the preschool children. She deserves respect and not being ripped by power hungry Smola. She is looking at this from the eyes of the children and not numbers on a spreadsheet and $$. I'm sorry there is only one of her on the elected schoolboard.

As long as the Superintendent is appointed by the Gov. and not elected by the people this is what you get. You can all thank ol Gov Roy Barnes for slipping that one by us. The superintendent has to answer to no one, what a crock!

Kathy Cox is an elected Republican, not appointed by the Governor. She was elected the same year as Gov. Perdue and re-elected last Tuesday.

Local superintendents are appointed by the elected Board and therefore accountable to the Board of Education.

The total lack of respect for Marion Key by her fellow board members made me want to crawl under my chair, but the most embarrassing moment of the the night went to Greg Powers when he admitted he had just found out that children from some elementary schools did not go to the same middle school as their classmates. Now as a member of the BOE should you not know your feeder systems. If you don't why would you admit it at a public forum in front of parents and the press. At least the press picked up on it and had to admit they felt sorry for us.

What?.. Don't you think his heating and air conditioning degree qualifies him to hold a seat on the bored. Perhaps he would be a little more understanding if his son attended the school his neighborhood is zoned for.
Unfortunately, he's not the only one w/ an agenda...

Get on the board Ebby!

There is a reason the districts are drawn the way they are. Until the lines can be redrawn, PTC self-representation will be a dream.

But on this night and at last week's meeting she turned out to be the ONLY one willing to side with anyone other than "the committee". Also, CBS 46 ran about 30 seconds on the meeting. It's worth a look if you happened to TiVo it.

How do you explain the changes in the recommendations tonight? What about waiting on changing the high schools and the further consideration of letting eighth graders stay put? Those compromises with the community didn't come from her.

What about the Robinson Road group and the Burch Road group?

It is sad to see this process under "the scalpel" of the committee. I'd much prefer a process with real dialogue and community input. I'm happy for those who gained an important symbolic victory but that doesn't remove the cancer for them down the road, it's only in temporary remission. The real problem is the process! No input yields no real support for the outcome.

The question was whether or not Marion Key was the only who objected to any part of committee's proposal. The answer is "no" because changes were made to the recommendation based on input from the community and the board.

How do those changes make it worse?

How much input do you need? Just because somebody doesn't agree with you doesn't mean they didn't listen to you.

Greg Powers told a PTO official they had decided a year ago to take her neighborhood. Taking input means you are approaching the redistricting with an open mind. They had already decided they wanted neighborhoods from PTC and did not answer any of our questions. How and what route are you going to take our kids (3 times as farther than Booth), which roads?? They refused to answer because they had an agenda. PERIOD!

Ok, here’s the answer to your first question (the second one, “How much input do you need?” is rhetorical and silly):

“How do those changes make it worse?”

First, changing the high schools back was good for all. My post was not specific but I intended to focus on Bennett’s Mill. I stand corrected. Second, “further consideration of letting eighth graders stay put?” is only there so Janet can justify her vote. It does nothing and most likely won’t be implemented anyway, but it makes her feel better, I guess. However, if it does go into effect, it will diminish the 8th grade student population at Bennett’s Mill and harm the new school. It may also cause “overcrowding” in Booth and Whitewater. Note of interest… I heard that Flat Creek and Fayette Middle weren’t even mentioned in the proposal last night (perhaps a racist Freudian slip?). Third, the other add-backs to Booth will only exacerbate the underutilization of Bennett’s Mill further. A total re-do is the only way to correct the problem, this time with REAL community input.

Let me know when you get these clips. I would love to have them for the next election.