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Will Clayton students flood Fayette schools?Tue, 03/25/2008 - 4:05pm
By: Ben Nelms
Sup’t. DeCotis: ‘Once floodgates are open ... I don’t know how we’d pay for it’ The debacle in Clayton County over its public school system losing accreditation might have an affect across county lines, depending on the outcome of the recently passed Senate Bill 458 and its trip through the Georgia House. Fayette School System Superintendent John DeCotis said Monday such legislation would not bode well for local taxpayers who will bear much of the expense beyond what state funding provides. “If this bill is passed and signed into law, Fayette County Schools may be required to enroll students from Clayton if the district loses its accreditation on Sept. 1,” DeCotis said. “This legislation could have a monumental impact over time on Fayette’s school system if it is also required to accept students from failing schools,” DeCotis said. “Unless the No Child Left Behind Act is changed, more [Fayette] schools will eventually evolve to ‘needs improvement’ status over the years.” DeCotis said SB 458 provides for state funding but does not account for the local funding that figures so prominently into Fayette’s curriculum, adding that approximately half the dollars required to educate Fayette public school students come from local sources. “Once the floodgates are open, we would have to open a lot of new resources, and I don’t know how we’d pay for it,” DeCotis said. “Adding this burden would mean cutting programs.” Also included in the amended SB 458 is the provision that a receiving school system will accept students subject to space being available. DeCotis said he was unsure at this point how many Clayton students Fayette could accommodate. Accepting students for whatever space might be available would also require hiring additional teachers which, he said, also calls into question the inadequate state funding dollars to pay those salaries. DeCotis said all students throughout the state deserve the best education possible, and it is understandable that state legislators would want to provide a means for students to seek better opportunities if their districts or schools fail to meet quality standards. “The Fayette County School System supports this endeavor but is opposed to systems being required to enroll students from other counties and subsequently forcing [Fayette] taxpayers to support the cost of educating non-resident students,” said DeCotis. “Although the school system receives state funding for every student enrolled, it only covers a little over half the cost. The rest is paid locally by property taxes.” [EDITOR’S NOTE: The Fayette schools’ central office released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:] Students in non-accredited and failing schools could enroll in other districts In light of the impending loss of accreditation by Clayton County Schools, a bill has been passed by the Georgia senate that would require public school systems to enroll students from other public districts or schools that are not accredited, on probation for accreditation or have failing schools. Under Senate Bill 458, parents can opt to have their child attend another school within their school system, enroll and transport their child to a public school in another system or request a scholarship for a private school. SB 458 states, “if a school system or school loses or fails to attain accreditation, a student shall be entitled to attend another public school or receive a scholarship to attend a private school…the public school system shall accept the student subject only to space being available.” The same options are available to students at schools that have been designated “needs improvement” for seven consecutive years. If this bill is passed and signed into law, Fayette County Schools may be required to enroll students from Clayton if the district loses its accreditation on Sept. 1, 2008. This legislation could have a monumental impact over time on Fayette’s school system if it is also required to accept students from failing schools. Unless the No Child Left Behind Act is changed, more schools will eventually evolve to “needs improvement” status over the years. All students throughout the state deserve the best education possible and it is understandable that state legislators would want to provide a means for students to seek better opportunities if their districts or schools fail to meet quality standards. The Fayette County School System supports this endeavor but is opposed to systems being required to enroll students from other counties and subsequently forcing taxpayers to support the cost of educating nonresident students. Although the school system receives state funding for every student enrolled, it only covers a little over half the cost; the rest is paid locally by property taxes. Residents in opposition to SB 458 are encouraged to contact Fayette’s state legislators. Contact information can be found at www.fayettecountyga.gov/elections/us_and_state_elected_officials.htm. login to post comments
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