It’s starting to get down to crunch time for the committee redrawing the county’s elementary school lines.

Last week, committee members toured Cleveland Elementary an East Fayette Elementary schools to get a hands-on view of one of the newest schools and the oldest schools in the county.

Before the committee headed off on the bus tour, assistant superintendent C.W. Campbell showed the members the map outlining the new districts with the changes the committee had recommended. But Campbell introduced another map that he had created into the discussion.

“I was driving to work and thinking how better to balance the schools,” he said.

Campbell’s map showed more students at the county’s elementary school with big footprints, such as Cleveland and Minter.

“This was not a map that was drawn up beforehand,” Campbell said.

Since the tours were scheduled at 7 p.m., the committee did not have a chance to discuss the two maps presented. Assistant superintendent Sam Sweat said the committee would meet at 6 p.m. tomorrow night to discuss the changes. Once the committee decides on a map, the board will discuss a second option, which would include closing one of the system’s schools and drawing lines for 18 elementary schools.

During the tours of the two schools, committee members got to see the differences between a new and and an old Fayette County school. At East Fayette, principal Louis Robinson showed the members a detached fourth-grade pod with three classrooms and no bathroom facilities. When asked if he would like a new facility, Robinson said that would be nice, but facilities only are one part of the picture.

“Our staff does a wonderful job here,” he said.

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