The school board blames the cost of allowing rising eighth graders to stay at their current schools as justification for sending them to Bennett’s Mill to finish their last year.
The board needs to admit to the taxpayers of this county the real reason. They state that their decision is the best for “the system” and each student. While their arguments may support how this is best for “the system,” they fail to explain how disrupting middle school can be good for any child. Are we serving “the system” or students?
The board states that the cost of allowing these 80 students to stay at their current school for one year would be $833,000. They never mention the added cost of busing kids halfway across the county or the cost of utilizing trailers at Rising Starr Middle, while the new Bennett’s Mill sits empty.
Does that mean for every Bennett’s Mill student who moves away or goes to a private school, the county is losing $10,000 or more? Is fiscal responsibility really their goal or concern?
If so, then why did they build a school in the middle of the county and not place enough students in it? The scalpel approach, which they are so proud of, that was used to redraw the middle school lines has backfired. They carved out so few students that now every student is critical to this school opening.
In the previous rezonings and new school openings, eighth graders have been allowed to stay in their current school, because there were plenty of students to fill the school. But in the case of Bennett’s Mill this is unfortunately not true.
Our eighth graders are being told to take one for the team. Take one for a team that they will only be a part of for one year. There will be no question as to why, when these students lose interest in school or have difficulty with their transition into high school.
I’m sure these students will be comforted in knowing that “the system” benefited from their sacrifice.
While I am sure Bennett’s Mill will be a fine school, my child and her classmates have invested themselves, made friends and worked hard to be a part of J.C. Booth, where they would like to finish out their last year.
We as taxpayers need to pay more attention to the school board and their lack of concern for our children. Your neighborhood may have escaped the scalpel this time, but next time it won’t. The truth is, you bleed whether it’s a scalpel or a meat cleaver. It feels like a meat cleaver to me.
Trina Davis
Peachtree City, Ga.