The Fayette Board of Education instructed Facilities Director Mike Satterfield Monday night to proceed with a feasibility study on the future of the land behind Whitewater High School.

The study, which could cost up to $25,000, will give the school system a better handle on the real value of the 33-acre site behind the county’s newest high school south of Fayetteville.

One of the options would be to sell the property, said consultant Jerry Whitaker at the board’s January meeting, but stipulate in the sales contract certain conditions, such as allowing science classes to use the wetlands area as an outside classroom. If the property were sold, the school system would have to build new detention ponds, since the current ones are on the surplus property, he explained.

Another more creative option would be to place the land in a wetlands “bank,” retain ownership of the property and sell the wetlands credits to a consulting company.

According to the EPA’s website, a mitigation bank is a “wetland, stream, or other aquatic resource area that has been restored, established, enhanced, or (in certain circumstances) preserved for the purpose of providing compensation for unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources permitted under Section 404 or a similar state or local wetland regulation.”

During Monday’s meeting, Satterfield said it would be cost-prohibitive for the school system to start its own mitigation bank, with start-up costs estimated at $600,000.

“It could be up to five or 10 years before we get our money back, and we’re looking for capital to buy future school sites,” he said.

Retired biologist Dennis Chase is working with the school system to try and get the most money possible, and said the study should help place a value on the mitigation credits for the property.

In other news, the board:

• Officially named the new school on Ga. Highway 92 and Goza Road — it will now be Inman Elementary School. Dr. John DeCotis explained the history of the previous school in Inman and said a resident had an original bell from the school that would be donated to the new school.

• Learned the school system’s recent purchase of property on Sandy Creek Road and Tillman Road passed soil tests and is feasible for a future school site.

• Deferred a decision on raising After School Program fees for parents who drop their kids off at the last minute. Program director Julia Simpson suggested changing the “drop-in” rate from $15 to $18 per day and from $15 to $25 per day for drop-ins on early release days.

“I’m not sure this increase on the people who use it the least will be enough to cover the costs,” said board member Janet Smola. Since Simpson was out of town and could not provide the board further information, the issue was deferred until tomorrow afternoon’s 4:30 p.m. meeting.

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