Letters to the Editor

BoE abandoning written policy?

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 5:11pm
By: Letters to the ...

I have read much about neighborhoods’ efforts to be zoned for elementary schools in a practical matter, which takes into consideration geographic location and community spirit. I wish them well.

However, no neighborhood has a written agreement from the Board of Education that it will remain zoned for any particular Fayette County school. Special permission families do.

I am not speaking of the special permission granted when a family moves during the school year and the children are allowed to finish out the school year where they are. I am referring to the special permissions granted by the BoE to help solve the burden of overcrowding when two years ago the BoE declined to vote on the same issue.

The letters state, “Approved requests are valid for the current level of education (elementary, middle, high school). This application needs to be renewed prior to attending the next level of education, such as elementary school going to middle school or middle school going to high school.”

Conditions for returning to the home school are stated in terms of absences, tardiness, disciplinary problems, or failing more than one class.

Two years ago, I spoke to the person at the LaFayette Education Office designated to handle special permission and expressed my concerns of what will happen when future rezoning takes place. I was told not to worry because our (and there are hundreds of us) letters granting special permission clearly state it is good through that level of education.

Is it any wonder these families did not give input to the Citizen Advisory Committee (who has recently recommended that all special permissions be rescinded and granted only in hardship cases)? We were supposed to be outside the rezoning process, as guaranteed by the BoE.

Is the BoE going to rescind what has been promised because we have been quiet? Will the BoE uphold its written word or will it retroactively change policy? Let’s see what example is set for the students in this county concerning honor, fairness, and (who knows?) legal responsibility.

Cheryl Snapperman

Peachtree City, Ga.

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Special Permission
Submitted by timeforchange on Tue, 11/20/2007 - 7:17pm.

The way I see it is that all children currently at their respective elementary schools expected to be there through 5th grade. Imagine the scenario when a child has been at their school since kindergarten and now has to leave in their 4th/5th grades year. Another child joined the school on Special Permission because their school was overcrowded in 3rd grade. Their zoned school is no longer overcrowded but they get to finish their time there because they have “a letter”. I believe there would be open warfare at the schools from the parents who have to tell heir kids they can not stay at their school but their buddies on Special Permission can. It is hard to talk of what’s fair when none of it is fair to the kids involved.

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There is no "right" to attend a specific school, grow up!
bad_ptc's picture
Submitted by bad_ptc on Tue, 11/20/2007 - 7:32pm.

What a bunch of whiners!

I suppose that the men and woman in our Armed Forces, WHO MOVE EVERY THREE YEARS on average, should complain to congress so their kids can stay in the same school for life. Give me break.

How do you expect your kids to get used to changing jobs every three or five years? I suppose you will tell them to never try and advance in their carriers because they may have to move.

I can only imagine these same parents would die if their favorite Kroger or Dillards closed and they were forced to go somewhere different.


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School attendance right
Submitted by johenry on Tue, 11/20/2007 - 7:37pm.

But don't you think if you live within a mile of an elementary school your child could maybe attend it?

I feel bad for the Kedron Elementary parents.

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The optimum word being
bad_ptc's picture
Submitted by bad_ptc on Tue, 11/20/2007 - 9:35pm.

MAYBE.

The problem being once the situation has been looked at in its entirety and not just some “small” part, it may make sense to move children that only live 1 mile from one school to another school.

It’s a common problem for people to realize that if we could build all the schools where we want them it would cost something like $20,000/child/year in Fayette County.

Developers don’t usually provide prime realestate for building schools. That kind of land usually gets sold to the highest bidder for a house or a store.

Take the land where the Kohl’s was supposed to be built. That developer has stated that he already has over $8,000,000 invested and the land isn’t even cleared yet. Can you take a guess what the cost of the land alone would be if something like the Stars Mill complex was proposed for the middle of PTC?

Not that I’m a fan of the FCBoE but they buy land for schools where land is available and not in high demand areas.

A developer can sell land that can be used for a neighborhood at around $40,000 for a ¼ acre. A school can usually take up about 20 – 30 acre, that’s $3,200,000 to $4,800,000 for just the land. Now add in another $20,000,000 for just building the building and not the annual operational costs and the price goes way up.

If the folks want to attempt to get control of the situation they need to start pressuring the local politicians to slow down development. Lot’s of luck on that effort.

The FCBoE didn’t double Fayette County’s population in the last 10 years, landowners and developers did.

Like the rest of us, the FCBoE just has to deal with the aftermath as best they can.


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