I bet he was inspecting all the problems he heard about Monday night like the rusty water, mold & asbestos. I was happy to hear the teachers tell people what it is really like there. I can not even imagine having kids drink from a water fountain with rusty water. I hope he gets the word out on how bad the facility is.

He should be there checking it out. In fact, there should have been a lot of people in charge there long before this 2.5 million was spent. I am glad these teachers spoke up, but what about 2 years ago? These problems didn't just occur since the renovations. Where were the angry cries before our money was spent. How far could that 2.5 million have gone in other areas? Just as it was wrong for Sweat to try and close the school "without permission", there is fault to laid to people who knew about the problems and didn't speak up before the money was spent. This school can only be bulldozed not repurposed.

Maybe the teachers did not really have anything to complain about until a lot of promises were made to them NOT IF as they were told WHEN East Fayette is closed. Did you ever think they did not step forward because there was nothing to step forward about. As with every other part of THE PROCESS the higher ups have passed out a prepared agenda and they were told what to say. A BOE employee was sitting right in front of me at the meeting and was gasping at what the teachers were saying because they were exaggerating facts. His job with the BOE allows him to know the real facts. It was the first he heard of rusty pipes or dirty water. Sounds like another attempt of the Sweat and Campbell team to try to make things go the way they want. Do you think if the conditions were like that then some of those teachers that have been at East Fayette for all these years would not have put in for a transfer to the MANY new schools that have been built over the years they should have enough time with the school system to get a transfer. Let all use our common sense. They are part of the whole process Sweat and Campbell are running, it was if I recall correctly only three teachers that spoke, let add it up just like the public forum where only one East Fayette parent spoke, were they only able to get three teachers to agree to speak it looks like it.

Well, "Hopeful"- I dare you to send your children to East Fayette for one week and see if there isn't "something to complain about". Come and drink the water yourself- come and smell the classrooms we teach in. We have not said anything about these issues since growth of students in the county has not allowed for a school building to be closed. Now that yearly increase of the number of students attending Fayette County Schools has slowed, there is room to consider closing an old school. Before you start hurling foolish and thoughtless comments stop and consider a few things. Teachers at EFES haven't requested transfers to the MANY other newer schools because of the amazing sense of family and pride we take in teaching there DESPITE THE BUILDING. YES! When we had the opportunity to voice our opinions about the physical building we are teaching in, we did just that. If the "BOE employee" you sat behind is so sure we are exaggerating facts THEN COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF! How DARE you accuse the teachers of fabricating "lies" and exaggerations in order to close a school! Our faculty- our family- will be split up among different schools when our population of students shifts to other schools. We don't want to lose that, but we know what is best for KIDS. I DARE you to send your children to a building for 1 week with asbestos in the walls, rusted pipes and a host of other difficulties and see if your opinion would change. Oh, wait; you wouldn't do that because you only consider yourself and what benefits you the most. As Terri Smith said, you only voted to keep East Fayette open out of selfishness and not out of what is TRULY best for others. As she said it, "How dare you". Suck it up and deal with change or MOVE to another county!

Well face it those of us that kids that go to Brooks which is one of the other schools in the county with asbestos have kids that already attend not just for a week but all the time with asbestos, so lets close all the schools in the county with asbestos, bad water, sewer problems, that are old, etc.... but wait we would need more then just two new schools, and I don't think the county has enough money for that, however if so much money has not already been wasted there would be a start to more new schools to retire older ones. Do you think it's okay for alternative students to attend a school with asbestos or employees to work in ones with it, so I guess the LEC needs to be closed too since there is asbestos there, now let's see the county will be down to no LEC since East Fayette has asbestos too. There is no good answer to any of these problems however the board needs to work more to resolve these issues and not put it off on a committee, then not use any of the suggestions they made. Let's ask and see what the alternative students parents think about sending there kids to a school that the East Fayette teachers think is so bad according to your comments.

Face it hopeful - you are going to Minter in a year. The closing E. Fayette train has left the station & there is no stopping it. I just wonder who else will be moved when the boundaries are "tweaked" in another year. I would not want to be in a neighborhood that was moved this time & put back, they will be the first up for the chopping block. Minter will be at a perfect number & you will not have crowding, so be happy.

The maps have magically disappeared!!?

I was told by Sam this afternoon that they would be available at CW Campbell's office. CW's office said they would be at the welcome center along with the "revised" Map BA that was voted on Monday night. The person working at the welcome center said that she was brought the revised Map BA today, and was told to tell anyone that asked that it was the only map available.

It will be awhile, it takes some time to format a map off the back of a cocktail napkin.

After the "minor tweaks" were made to Map BA on Monday, there should have been an opportunity for the public to make comments. These "tweaks" were not minor, they were kids.

The process needs to either:
1. Give time for comments after a map change (or tweak) is made, OR
2. Follow the recommendations of the well-paid consultant

It appears that instead of doing the right thing, the Board chose to do the easy thing. I agree - shameful process!!

You are right shameful process, continue to make changes not ask for anymore public comments and worse of all let Sam Sweat continue to be in charge of it ALL and he is the one that got the PROCESS so messed up. These are childrens lives that the board are dealing with, but as long as they can continue to send their children where they want they are happy. It just our tax dollars they continue to waste $42,000 on the consultant, 2.5 million on East Fayette(this figure was from the BOE facility person Mike Satterfield that spoke to the board on 11/26/2007, someone had early questioned the figure being wrong and you could call the facility department and double check this is right) to now possible close it what a continued waste of money. Vote them out is all that can be done and hope that people that will do a better job will be voted in.

Teachers have gobs of breaks during the school yr and during the summer. That is a great perk. If they want to send their out of county or out of district children to our schools, then they should get a salary adjustment and pay taxed dollars to send their kids to our schools. Wonder what the IRS would have to say about this "untaxed perk." As I understand it, WHS needs 30 more classrooms to accommodate current enrollment. My daughter has classes in 2 trailers. Think about it.

You got it RIGHT!!! These teachers should be glad they have this perk, but if they were taxed, then lots of them would rethink bring their kids to Fayette County with them, or if thier salary was adjusted. Then our taxed payed for class rooms would not be over crowded, however the way I understood it is if the teacher did not work at the school and the teachers child attends then there must be room, does this many teachers at WHS have kids????? I would think not if there is that many then this perk is also being abused.

Teachers in Fayette County work hard. Without them, your lovely children wouldn't have the kind of education they are receiving. Stop blaming the teachers, taxes, etc. for all the problems with the overcrowding, trailers, teacher perks, etc. Teachers work harder, longer and put up with much more junk than any corporate worker around. They have low pay, long hours and plenty of attitudes from parents that think their kids do nothing wrong. Teachers should be able to bring their kids to Fayette schools. Why not? What's the issue here - taxes? Who cares. Let's talk about excellent education and not political issues that most could care less about. Boundary lines..the BOE places way to much on parental opinion in making these boundary decisions. If I were them, I'd just go with the best map and forget about parental opinion. All Fayette schools are amazing compared to our surrounding county schools. I'd be blessed if my kids were at any of these elementary schools. Stop blaming others- enjoy our county school system.

All school in Fayette county must not be equal or you would not have had the fight the BoE had from the neighborhoods who should have left Peeples Elementary. Why didn't they want to go to Minter? Our county is better than surrounding counties, but all the schools in Fayette must not be equal. Teachers deserve the perk of having their kids with them, but some county employees - not teachers - are allowed to pick which school their kid goes to & too many go to Peeples, which is way overcrowded. I think they should go to one under capacity.

Let's not even discuss the REAL reason that certain subdivisions didn't want to go to Minter and it has nothing to do with how "wonderful" Peeples is!

What is wrong with Minter?

Certain people are getting uptight because someone is messing with "their" country club. A lot of them moved here and paid big home prices to have their kids go to school with other rich kids. They saw Peeples as a way to put their money into an expensive house instead of private school tuition. Now reality has set in, and they understand that they are really just part of a public school system that isn't here to cater to them (or isn't supposed to be).
But since they threatened lawsuits, they will be able to keep their country club a little longer (the council, Mr. Sweat and Mr. Campbell has caved under the pressure). Unfortunately, Peeples' kids will remain crowded and other elementary schools will be under-utilized for another year.

Fayette County school bus drivers, and custodians and anyone else who works for the FCBOE - except for substitute teachers.

I personally know some parents who drive FC school buses just so they can choose which school their child attends now.

Let the FCBOE employees bring their kids but ONLY to the school they work directly at or at a school not overcroweded. If it is overcroweded make them pick another school. Give me a break I pay taxes and should not have to have my child attend a school that is crowded by FCBOE employees children. If they want to crowd up certain schools then open special premission all over the county and let tax payers pick any school they want.

You nailed it!

Kelley Carey was hired to make this a "transparent" process using his skills in facilities planning and forecasting. He's expensive, but we were worth it. So, how did this process go so wrong? Sam Sweat and C.W. Campbell could NOT keep their hands off the process. They don't have facilitation skills, and they have a self-serving agenda. They were condescending, they were rude and they must go. And, while we're at it, let's take out DeCotis too - - - he's enabled this behavior and cultivated a culture of mediocrity within our school board and our school system.

Let's face the facts: Until we put quality educated folks in positions of authority on the school board and in leadership positions, we will continue to get bad decisions. No real surprise.
Just disappointment.

These two board members know the true financial situation of this county. That is why they voted against it. Even Wright got scared when the numbers were run by him. Under populated elementary schools means less money from the state.

He is the board member from the post where East Fayette lives so he was possibly trying to pacify his constituents?

It was interesting last night...several teachers and parents from East Fayette spoke to the board making a last ditch plea to CLOSE their school. Talking about what a close knit group they were...

Also interesting that came out of last nights meeting. In order to repurpose/close/ whatever East Fayette plans have to be submitted to the state, 2 public hearings must be held etc. so it sounds as if the board couldn't close the school this nexy year even if they wanted to. A whole lotta wasted time, $$ and angst if you ask me.

He is the board member from the post where East Fayette lives so he was possibly trying to pacify his constituents?

It was interesting last night...several teachers and parents from East Fayette spoke to the board making a last ditch plea to CLOSE their school. Talking about what a close knit group they were...

Also interesting that came out of last nights meeting. In order to repurpose/close/ whatever East Fayette plans have to be submitted to the state, 2 public hearings must be held etc. so it sounds as if the board couldn't close the school this nexy year even if they wanted to. A whole lotta wasted time, $$ and angst if you ask me.

If E. Fayette couldn't be closed next year no matter what, weren't Dr. Todd and Mrs. Key getting what they wanted? It sounds like all five agreed and the two dissenters were against something else. Sounds like those two are contradicting themselves or don't comprehend what's being said.

If the board voted to close East Fayette, then yes it would go to the state. It begins the process. This happens all over the state. The state is not going to go against a county. It just part of the process.

The board was talking themselves in circles - they didn't want to vote and have it in writing that they would definitely repurpose it. The idea of surplusing it was brought up too. The vote last night authorized them to explore all options (even - gasp - keeping it open as an elementary school) and not locking themselves into to one thing.

I feel bad for the children that should obviously remain at Peeples (those children in Jefferson Woods, The Chimneys, Wilshire just to name a few).Their school will remain very crowded.

Peeples is already over for next year & in the next 5 years will be way over. More trailers should be moved there now. I overheard a Whitewater neighbor say -"who cares about crowding, we're there!" That is exactly the mentality we are dealing with. No one cares about anyone but themselves in this arena. I can't wait to find out all the school enrollment #'s, I wonder who else is over & who else besides Minter is at 50%. What if E. Fayette is not closed in 1 year? Do they then re-zone the MInter area again to get some kids in there? When does this end? What could have been a successful redistricting went way off track when the BoE had to appease everyone. Why did they waste our tax $ for a consultant? $42,000 is a conservative amount considering how much work went into having a committee meet 1 or 2 times a week with county staff there every time. It's a sad, sad shame.

Let's go ahead and move some of those trailers to SpringHill too. If East Fayette closes SpringHill will be maxed out and that needs to be addressed, just as Peeples should be. Why should Minter stay so small, I guess because Sweat's kid is there and he wants to keep the classes small. Does not seem fair, but has any of this process. It all needs to be addressed and kids need to be evenly placed even if some of the neigborhoods with a little more influence then other don't like it if they get moved. All the schools are good, we just need to move numbers fairly and even look at other schools that are just as old as East Fayette or need updating that might make more sense to close. Which school has had more money spent on it and has had more updated keep it open and close the one that still needs more work on it. It not the age of a building it's how the staff handles what they are given to work with and it's how much the PTO at the school works to help the staff get things that are not state funded or locally funded which means all parents at a school should be more involved.

He has already said that his child will go to Inman.

He is zoned for East Fayette.

We all already know that, if he is clearing wanting to move to Inman is that why he suggested the other night to move Chanticleer to Inman so he will be where he should be. Is he also hand picking the principal for Inman and staff? Like he did the maps his way. If the higher ups at the BOE want to be at Inman maybe that's the school to be rezoned to?

When did he say that?

If I recall correctly it was at one of the committee meetings

Okay, first you are asking for trailers and then in another note you say the population number for Peeples next year is 765. The capacity is 763, it was noted that even without rezoning Peeples the 5 year projection (including new neighborhood) was 724. Peeples is tight but everyone of the neighborhods are aging and in declining student populations. The largest class has already gone through and are 6th graders now. They reduced the number of teachers this year. There teacher - student ratio is in line and they do not have kids in trailers except to go to special classes. If the East Fayette shift occurs (likely) and with the development around Minter (much more than Peeples) it is insane to shift kids from one at capacity school in decline to max out another in growth.

How can anyone say that people will build to go to Minter when 2 neighborhoods fought so hard to stay out of there? It sent a message loud and clear the the families of Minter - no one wants to go there! The development is coming to the south complex because everyone wants to be at RSMS & SMHS. This re-zoning made that crystal clear.

. Peeples is tight but everyone of the neighborhods are aging and in declining student populations.

This is very difficult to believe...especially seeing the preschoolers in the area and talking to the parents. Where are most of them zoned? Peeples. Also, in that area live many professionals who move quite a bit. Although the housing market has slowed, it will pick up again and who will move into Jefferson Woods, Woodcreek, Wilshire ...people with children. Plus there are several neighborhoods which are not built out yet (New Haven, The Registry, the brand new one coming in across Panther Pass) and yes, they will have children.

Minter has a population that doesn't move as often. Many people who have children that attend Minter have lived in Fayette County their entire life. Also, the lot sizes are zoned larger than ones feeding into Peeples.

Also, if the shift with East Fayette comes, Minter will still be way under capacity.

And finally let's not even begin to start talking about the shifts in staff! Going from approx 680 students to approx 440 to approx 660 all w/in 2 years. That is whats insane!

Peeples did not have to be "tight" it could have been correct. It is not "tight" it is stuffed.

Found out today, Peeples will lose 41 kids to the 1 neighborhood zoned out & if Highgrove get their way & the hearing impaired & special needs are booted that is 20 kids. So take 836 subtract 61 & you get 775, just a bit over 763. Now, you have a new neighborhood - Mountbrook with 60 homes coming currently under construction now. 3 homes are sold & the kids are coming. New Haven has a few more to go & The Registry. So, my guess is Peeples will just keep on growing. The upsizing/downsizing is a good attempt at justification at keeping Whitewater. What would be interesting is to know what happened between the Thursday morning meeting and Monday night to know how WW was moved back into Peeples. Timberlake was never afforded the opportunity to voice their opposition like all other neighborhoods & are the only one to be "banished."

I think it is sad the children with special needs can be bumped all over the county. People should be ashamed of themselves for making that happen.

Let them all eat cake...off of their neighbors plate as they sit jammed in to the classrooms, halls and cafeteria. And to think this could all have been avoided if people had the guts to stand up and do what was right.

We'll gladly take the special needs students at our school.

You have "trade offs" in students in the Peeples area when you are talking about professionals moving. 2 kids move out, 2 kids move in which is a statistical average so you do not have a spike in population. The Peeples area is also unique in that you have families that will move within the district either upsizing or downsizing, again causing a nearly equal trade off. As far as new neighborhoods, the price points of these houses start at 500K +, again, it is statistically proven that in those price ranges the ages of the children are older so you do not have as big of influx in the elementary age range. You also have families in the Peeples areas that do everything they can to stay in that area.
Agree with you on the Minter staff, don't know how they will handle that one except to some degree using East Fayette.

So, basically what you're saying is that the population at Peeples should stay about the same. Which while it is at the limit it is not "over crowded". However, there will be at least some young children move into the brand new homes even the ones starting at 500, 000+. It is in my humble opinion that some families would have appreciated their children in a school with they can put out their arms, spin around and not bop someone in the head. But hey, to each his/her own. The childreb will get a good education in which ever school they are at.

At least in the south portion of the county it's very easy. For next school year, the lines for Braelin are the same except that they add Timberlake. Peeples stays the same, except for losing Timberlake. I believe that Brooks stays the same, Minter loses the 92 corridor which will go to Inman. I don't believe that anyone is added to Minter, thus putting it way below capacity. (Peeples, on the other hand, will basically be at capacity with a brand new subdivision be built to feed into it). East Fayette will lose their southern students to Inman and I believe that Springhill will lose some of the 92 corridor to Inman (but I could be wrong about that)

The next year, when they close East Fayette as an elementary school (which is what Dr. Decotis wants) Lakeside & Lakemont will switch to SHM as will part of Harp Rd.

Oh, special permissions and rising 5th graders will be able to stay, but Peeples and Braelin will be closed to new special permissions. Also, they might look to move some of the special programs out of those schools to help ease the burden.

Hope that helps!

Apparently the board feel the new neighborhood by the school will not be built. They think those lots will sit empty. I am guessing no one is moving into The Registry or New Haven either.

I wonder if the next re-district will come sooner than 5 years if the new neighborhood builds out quickly & Peeples hits 880 again. It will be interesting to watch. There will always be room at Minter...

Also, did you know that the only people that are moving into Highgrove are retirees? At least that is what a Highgrove resident "who had done their homework" told me

Not only retirees are moving to Highgrove. Did anyone visit Highgrove on Halloween? Our kids (WMS) begged us to take them to Highgrove. It was amazing. TONS and TONS of young families all out in their streets and driveways celebrating the night. It was awesome. I didn't see any retirees. In fact, two great families just moved in there within the last two months and both have 2 and 3 young kids. No retirees there!

My Inlaws are retired, and they are looking at a home in Highgrove. Not saying that's the norm, but the retirees are the ones with the $$$.

I can understand that the prices in Highgrove make it more likely to attract families with older kids, but what retiree wants to live in a house with 4 to 5 bedrooms with the neighborhood kids playing manhunt through their backyard at all hours of the night? My parents are considering moving to PTC, but Highgrove makes no sense at all for them. Too much house and too many kids.

I recently retired from my first career at about the same time both of my kids got married and moved out, so my wife and I "downsized" when we moved back to PTC. What we have discovered in the last 4 years is that we still need the room of a 4-5 bedroom house, even though it's just the two of us, most of the time. There's at least a couple of reasons why retirees need more house than you might think. For one thing, we have accumulated enough furniture to fill a larger house, and we have gotten accustomed to having a larger house. Our current house now feels cramped. Secondly, our kids now have kids of their own, and if we want them to visit, we need enough guest bedrooms to accommodate them all.

Having young kids in the neighborhood is not a problem for us--it reminds us of when our own kids were the ones running around the neighborhood.

All this is a matter of preference, but I can tell you that we are in the market for a bigger house that's more like the one we had when our kids were in high school. I'm sure a lot of other retirees are finding out the same thing--size DOES matter. (floor space, that is)

Hey Heatjam - I believe that like I believe the real Santa is coming to my house next week!

Santa isn't coming??? Dang!! I guess that I'll have to eat all of the cookies and drink all of the beer...oops I mean milk...by myself?? Oh Well! Cheers!!

the line between Minter and Brooks is still Rising Star?

Yes, it was moved back to Rising Star Rd

Did you happen to get Spring Hill's enrollment #'s? I saw that Minter will have 400 kids, Braelinn 575 & Peeples 765. That is next year, until Lakeside/Lakemont go to Minter & then they add about 220 kids & get to mid 600 #. Just curious to compare the schools. I think Huddleston had no change, not sure about Oak Grove.

I didn't get actual #s, but the Board was concerned about the # when the East Fayette kids come. That's why they will probably move Harp Rd to Minter and Chanticleer to Inman.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

That is the first time I heard that Lakemont was moving to Minter. It aligns our students with the feeder pattern for Whitewater HS.

Not middle school Lakemont would still to Bennett's Mill, then back to Whitewater High which is different then the rest of Minter that would attend Whitewater Middle, so feeder pattern still not quite right. The map would still need to be looked at for SpringHill if East closes in one year, because the SpringHill number will be pushed too high and the board was concerned about that, so I hope they will correct that.

If East Fayette closes, Lakeside and Lakemont move to Minter in 2009-2010.