On my end of town, Smola was in on the redistricting of Wilshire Estates in the middle of the night from Braelinn to Peeples & then tried to send them back to Braelinn. The Board learned that Wilshire Estates will not sit around and take it! She never gave an explanation as to why Wilshire was their pawn on that move. These things need to be out in the open and explained when it happens. She also voted to send Timberlake with a low number of children from Peeples to Braelinn, when Timberlake NEVER was given ANY warning or opportunity to speak for themselves. Some people will not forget how they were treated during these 2 events & she will see the results in the voting booth.

Fayette is now paying the price for faulty decisions related to the selection of sites for the construction of schools.

Sites have been selected on the basis of who was willing to sell lan or gifts from developers.

There have been no defensible studies of growth pattersn adn projections.

Eminent domain has not been used as a tool to secure the best locations for schools.

The last two elementary sites selected were in areas zoned for low density development (according to the Fayette County land use plan)

There are 9 elementary schools who have been virtually zoned out of their attendance area.

"Sites have been selected on the basis of who was willing to sell lan or gifts from developers.

There have been no defensible studies of growth pattersn adn projections.

Eminent domain has not been used as a tool to secure the best locations for schools"

That makes me wonder why the school board didn't buy the land across from McIntosh school about 3 years ago when Weiland bought it, or at least asked him to donate some of the land for another elem or mid school on that same property. Instead Smola sat there while he put in big houses on postage size lots and the rest of that huge thing I think is condos or apartments.

That would have been much better than building schools out in the middle of no where.
Was BOE Smith husband the 'silent partner' in Burt Clark's TCGI holdings? Someone mentioned that.

My name is Chip Smith. I can use my name because I have no reason to hide. Mr. Clark & I were partners in TCG Holdings which was a land development company.

TCG Holdings never sold any land to the BOE. I encourage anyone who believes otherwise to check it out. In fact, my wife has already gathered titles that prove that no business or partnership in which I have ever been involved has ever sold land to the BOE. Terri excuses herself from Executive Sessions where possible conflicts of interest may exist and only returns once it has been determined that none exists by the rest of the Board.

Email her and she'll fax you the title history for all the BOE's purchases since she took her seat on the Board. She's already offered to show these documents to the newspaper. She has given copies to other members of the Board.

While you are at it, why don't you ask her about the school system's process for land acquisition for school sites? I am told that it is nothing like what you describe.

I wonder one thing...are you saying that the BOE should use its power of eminent domain to condemn and take property from private citizens to build schools instead of buying property that the owners want to sell? Who would want that? I sure wouldn't vote for anybody who thought that was a good idea.

I guess you can make these wild accusations and not use your real name. I just hope anybody who thinks you know what you are talking about will have the good sense to find the facts before believing what you say.

you sold land to the BOE.

I've heard over and over that you were a partner in a the land development company, but never knew. I'm glad you answered. I've never heard that you sold land to the BOE

I would like to see people on the board who have no ties to anything that would prompt the others on the board to have to debate if that person can vote on something. That would seem to make her a 'lame duck' on some important votes for the area she represents.
"Terri excuses herself from Executive Sessions where possible conflicts of interest may exist and only returns once it has been determined that none exists by the rest of the Board."

There have been no conflicts of interest.

You need to talk to her instead of listening to gossip.

This guy is saying lets clean em out and see what we got.

Janet Smola...COULD...have done this years ago...she has had ample opportunity....why didn't she?

Every out of county student cost us...MORE... than if Clayton had gone under and we had to take them.

Reason
we would at least get a subsidy, now we are getting nothing! Janet Smola knows this. Could it be because she wants a diverse school population instead of a reflection of who lives in the area? A lot of people besides too bad think so.

Janet Smola is responsible for WHERE the NEW schools are. Why does it come as a surprise to her that people aren't happy over them?
She knew where the schools were gonna be built! Does she think we don't know that? Why did she build them were they are? For the convenience of Clayton county? Surely not for the PTC kids convenience.

What it sounds like is the guy is willing to do the dirty work to clean up the MESS that Janet Smola has made!

She has never ..WON.. that seat in an election. No one has ever ran against her. She simply walked in and 'assumed the position', and started spouting orders.

Janet is running for re-election. Do you read the news or just the blogs?

where is the link? I've not read that.

cause she knows she can't win against anyone, much less someone with credentials.

I do hope Marion Key retains hers. She seems the only one out there that took an interest in the kids. I heard a rumor that Smoleites put people up to run against her, that is only hearsay.

Submitted by Fayette Resident on Wed, 11/21/2007 - 2:28pm.
I posted this online before the paper was published this week. Note the comments that are in bold about Marion Key.

Okay, I have read every article about school redistricting since the discussion began about the opening of a new elementary school in the Inman area after the last elementary school redistricting took place. Let me first say that I do not have children in elementary school, but I am concerned about the quality of the education system in Fayette County in order to maintain the standard of living and retain or increase my property's value. I have lived in this County for longer than most of you posting to this board. (30 plus years). Welcome to Fayette County. Isn't it great that the "gates" were not closed at some point in time and the development stopped just prior to you or your family moving into Fayette County. Fayette County is a great place to live. Do I wish that different development had taken place over the years? Sure. Have I stood before Council Meetings and School Board Meetings to make my opinion known over the years? Yes.

Enough with the introduction. This redistricting argument is so predictable. With every redistricting decision there will be groups of parents who passionately want their children to remain in their school district. I would fight for the right of my child to do so if I wanted him or her to stay in the same district. Unfortunately, with all of the growth throughout the past 30 plus years, there have been many new elementary schools that have opened and caused hundreds of students to be redistricted with each new school opening. That means when your families moved into the district, they caused a little more growth which eventually caused a new elementary school to be built.

People have been singing the praises of Marion Key. Be careful what you praise.

She is very predictable in her actions. She will approve the appointment of a committee to create boundaries, then in the eleventh hour be persuaded by a group of parents that the entire process is incorrect and people will start to sing her praises. Observe the redistricting lines when Whitewater High School was opened. Look at the lines going down Ebenezer Church Road toward Peachtree City. Could it be that she wanted her property to be the last property allowed into the new high school and removed from Fayette County?

FAYETTE COUNTY has a school system. PEACHTREE CITY does not. Every time redistricting becomes an issue, there are parents in Peachtree City who state “My realtor told me that I would always be attending this or that school.” That comment is not the fault of the School Board. It is the fault of the realtor.

Many people are asking “Why was Inman Elementary built when the schools are not even filled to capacity?” Do some homework. School planning must take place years in advance. My guess is that Inman Elementary was on the drawing board at least five years ago. No one can predict when the population of the county will begin to grow at a much slower pace. It was going to happen sooner or later that there would be an elementary school built that might not be needed at the time it opens. Think of the complaints that would come forth if the school board had not planned an elementary school and the population of Fayette County grew in double digits over the past 5 years. People would be asking them why they did not plan ahead.

Proper facility planning takes places years before the students arrive. Be thankful we are not in the situation that Gwinnett County finds themselves faced with. I don’t think I would trade places. One extra elementary school may not be that bad.

For those of you who are so upset about them thinking of closing East Fayette. Is it really such a bad idea to close the aging facility? Or, do you feel that the facility should remain open simply because that would allow your son or daughter to attend a much newer facility? I have been in the East Fayette facility many times over the past 30 years and it is time for either major improvements to be done or for the school to be closed. The cost to the taxpayers is probably much less to close the school and move the entire faculty to the new Inman Elementary. This total transfer will cause much less problems because the faculty will be cohesive and will have worked together. I thought it was a great idea.

My children were moved to other schools during the school years. Did it take some adjusting? Sure. Did they survive? Sure. Did they have to make some new friends? Sure. Kids are flexible. With parental support, as with any new change in a child’s life, even a change to a new school will not be as big of an adjustment as what you feel it might be.

It is time to face the facts. There will be many students moved with redistricting. It will take some adjustments, but the kids will be okay. Peachtree City parents will face the reality that there child may have to attend a different school. Living in a community with neighborhoods so close together will cause that to be a reality.

reply
Marion
Submitted by cruiserman on Wed, 11/21/2007 - 7:30am.
During last year's middle school rezoning mess, Marion was proposing to scrap all the current lines for a massive rezoning. She said that we had been picking away at the problem for years and that we needed to do a comprehensive redrawing of the lines. Can't have it both ways or what is most expedient for the moment, Marion. Some of us are actually listening and have a memory.

Marion, be careful what you wish for.

http://www.thecitizen.com/node/27813/#comment-72976

It says who is running for her post. If you have a link to Janet Smola saying she will run, I'd like to see it.

As far as redrawing lines, at some point, it will have to be done. People let a whole subdivsion go in right across from McIntosh and never opened their mouths. Where did you think those kids were gonna go to school? Clayton county? they were gonna walk right across the street.

The article states that "The Fayette County Board of Education had no shortage of candidates to qualify for the seats in Post 1, 2 and 3 to be decided later this year. A total of four challengers will face incumbents Janet Smola, Terri Smith and Marion Key.

The Post 1 challenger for the seat held by Janet Smola is ......"

The Post 1 challenger wouldn't have anyone to challenge if Janet wasn't running for re-election for the seat she currently holds. If she weren't running he'd be running unopposed. Put another way, he is challenging the incumbent. The incumbent is the person currently in office and that is JANET SMOLA. Again, she is running. Qualifying ended almost two weeks ago. It's a done deal. Its been in the papers all this time.

I DON'T CARE IF SHE RUNS OR NOT....THE OUTCOME WILL BE THE SAME if she does or doesn't....she aint gonna get it. No unless you guys think of something ..really...good to smear this guy with...and I still don't think she will win.

Now you've gone from insisting that she couldn't be running to yelling you don't care. Are you drunk in the middle of the day?

I didn't think she was running, my bad. I didn't think she would run against a competent person, but again, I don't care if she runs or stands on her head in the middle of the street, even if you really try to smear this guy with something, he will still get it. It just doesn't matter what she does.

to the about to be de-throne-d herself?

Nope. You don't know who you are talking to any more than you know what you are talking about.

The original article said that all of the incumbents had opposition, or as it was put, "no free ride", so it is safe to say that, as an incumbent, Ms. Smola is running, and has opposition.

The coroner, the soliciter and the clerk of courts are the only ones who are running unopposed as far as I know.

she needs to with draw and save face. But, but it is her face, not mine.

http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/28071

I have heard 1 of the people running against Marion is doing it for the school boundaries. They are going into it to protect their neighborhood! I am so glad someone from PTC is finally running for the board. PTC has NO REPRESENTATION. They all live outside of PTC. Go Dave Houston! The voters need to hear why these people want the job. We have heard from Mr. Houston, now let's hear from the others!!

Bad news for PTC. This guy may be from PTC, but he represents N. Peachtree Parkway. The rest of us haven't forgotten how Kedron Hills people disrespected the rest of PTC with their comments about being the only important kids and parents at Booth. His kids are too special to go to school with OUR kids.

Any wonder why this guy hasn't been involved with the school system until now??? Let's see he says one of the things he wants to do is:

"• Redistrict for the long term (and not every three years); keep communities together – if we have to redistrict, then we should redistrict for what this county will look like five to 10 years from now."

So does he think we folks in Kedron, Centennial, Planterra, Robinson Road or Wilshire Estates to name a few want to revisit the redistricting issue? Oh and instead of a "let's not move and disrupt more kids than we have to mentality" that the school board told us about during the last redistricting, he would move kids out of schools so that kids who are going to be here 10 years from now could take their seats! Ouch. And Old Beach Bear, the Kedron Hills folks flat out told us here in the Kedron neighborhood that they were going to run a candidate to change all that. Well not everyone in Peachtree City is unhappy. Janet Smola has returned every call I've ever made to her. That's more than I can say for Marion Key who is supposed to be the "other" Peachtree City district candidate.

I would take that with a grain of salt. Anyone would do a better job than what has been done, and I have not seen it stated Smola will run, just that she has people running for her spot. I do not believe she will run knowning anyone at all is going to run against her. I think she will choose some face saving remarks and bow out gracefully.

If you can't read the article in the paper titled "No Free Rides for School Board Members," try calling the elections office, or the Republican party, or looking at www.fayettefrontpage.com, or last week's Fayette Daily News. She is running.

I called the BOE, I can't believe she is running with someone that qualified running as well. She's gonna lose big time.

like a call for district voting. Keep the faith.

Even a dead fish can go with the flow.

as we do....NO MORE CLAYTON/FULTON KIDS for us to pay for. Do you realise that we are paying more now for each of these out of county students than if Clayton schools had failed? At least then we would have gotten a portion of subsidy....now we get none!

Janet Smola was the school board member who e-mailed us here in PTC about SB458 which would have allowed Clayton kids to come here! As a matter of fact at the Republican Breakfast Senator Chance credited her for sounding the alarm which ultimately defeated the thing. You may have supported that happening but none of us did!!!! Dave Houston passionate? About what? Show me where he's been involved at all in anything with the school system.

I for one am hoping Smola is voted out! We need new people on the Board. Smola has been there too long. She does reply to emails, but I don't agree with many of her positions on things. She asked for a citizen's committee for redistricting and blew them off! She also wasted a lot of tax $ in the process. Houston has been involved with his kid's schools as far as I know. We need a former military person to get our board in gear! Marion Key needs to go too. She does not reply to emails and flip flops on issues too often. She does not even live in PTC, so why should she represent them?

on their board of ed. Fat lot of good that did them. Last I checked Fayette County School Board topped the list in most categories. You're just another North Peachtree Parkway parent miffed about redistricting. Bad reason for someone to run for public office. So I guess you'll only support someone who agrees with you all the time! You say Houston's involved with his kid's school, most parents are. I want someone who's been involved with the welfare of the whole system, not just their own neighborhood and school. Go broncos!

dorthea - you really should not make assumptions regarding where people live. My kids go to Rising Starr, so clearly I am not a "North Peachtree Parkway parent miffed about redistricting". That would be a bad reason for someone to run for office. PTC will be facing that with 1 of the candidates (vs.Key) if they will admit that is why they are running. I don't have to agree with someone 100% of the time, but I have to believe they can get the job done, be competent, return my calls/emails, be hardworking, and get involved with their kids education. That is all that is required for my vote. Go Panthers!

but I agree with dorthea...and redistricting is a fact of life. If a school district is growing {which our's is} redistricting is inevitable. It can be handled diplomatically, or dictatorially, but it is an necessity and the voters of the county have to accept that fact. If you don't like the way it was handled, by all means, voice your discontent {which many did} but it is going to occur. Keep the faith.

Even a dead fish can go with the flow.

The school system actually isn't growing, it had a decline in total enrollment this past year. Otherwise, I agree with you on the inevitability of re-districting. In Fayette's case, it has to be done as new schools have to have students from somewhere attending them. With that comes CHANGE, something that is going to upset some folks for certain.

How the school board handled this situation the last year or so was a total joke that I would expect by the Clayton Co bozos. Hiring a very expensive expert and then ignoring his advice, trying to circumvent Open Meeting laws until called on it by The Citizen, and then lousy direction and last second micromanaging and panic from the board pretty much guaranteed a result that will leave even more people upset than usual. and input from the board turned it into a mess that

For some reason this hasn't been printed yet in the Citizen, but here is the letter Janet Smola wrote addressing her reelection (and no, I'm not Janet, just a parent who sometimes also reads the other online news where this is posted):

"It is my pleasure to seek re-election to Post 1 of the Fayette County Board of Education. I have served this county over the past eight interesting and challenging years. During my tenure we have experienced record numbers of student growth followed by an unexpected national economic downturn. We have responded with careful and critical decisions that have resulted in system wide stability and continued excellence in student performance. Members of our community have banded together to weather these changes and as a result our students have continued to excel; leading the state and nation in test scores.
In spite of more than $20 million in State funding cuts to Fayette County schools, I’m proud to serve with a team of school system professionals who have maintained our level of excellence and retained all of the extra programs that our community’s children deserve. Many school systems in Georgia have had to cut vital programs to respond to economic challenges. We have tightened our belts at every turn with all levels of school system staff and departments making significant sacrifices to enable us to place 87% of our budget in to direct support to the classroom. This is significantly greater than the 65% mandated by the State. We’ve accomplished all this while decreasing the millage rate.
To attract and maintain the best staff, we established a compensation package that rivals any school system, providing vital benefits to our valued employees. It is my commitment to continue to support these measures.
No doubt with the predicament in our neighboring Clayton County, I’m proud to say that the Fayette County School Board achieved the highest level of standards in the state when designated a “School Board of Distinction” in October of 2007. I shall continue to honor my personal promise not to impose my individual desires upon any school, department or operation within our system.
In response to concerns of out of county students attempting to attend our schools, we have investigated 2430 suspected violators, removing 363 from our schools over a 4 year period. We have established a Welcome Center where all students must register in order to better scrutinize potential violators. Private investigators are used continually to investigate. Our policy remains clear; we will not allow students who do not live in Fayette County to attend Fayette County schools. Our diligence is even finer tuned with the Clayton County’s troubles.
When I took my oath to serve you eight years ago, some of our citizens’ greatest concerns were overcrowded schools and facilities equity. There were trailers at nearly every school in this county. Since then, we have built and opened 2 new elementary schools, 1 new middle school and 1 new high school; on time and under budget. We are in the process of completing the final 2 elementary schools the voters elected to support with the passage of the $65 million bond referendum in 2004. We achieved equity for our high schools when we completed and opened the McIntosh High School gym and auditorium and the Sandy Creek auditorium, both projects funded through savings acquired by careful accounting of funds.
Though qualified to run in individual Posts, School Board members take an oath to represent ALL members of Fayette County. I have represented each and every neighborhood and school as if they housed my own children. I will continue to dialog with all of you as I have for the past years, answering every phone call or e-mail I receive. Your concerns and desires are, and continue to be, the reason I serve.
I pledge to continue our work together in keeping Fayette County schools at the top of the state by continuing to focus on academic excellence, student achievement and sound fiscal management. I ask for your support and vote on July 15th."

There's a reason Fayette County Schools continue to excel in almost every way you can measure success. Change can be good, but change for the sake of settling the score because one's own children were redistricted is not a good reason for change. Call Janet and talk to her if you have concerns; talk to all the candidates, but please don't take seriously these rants and rails that have semblance of fact.

FAIL

Too priceless for words - - I quote Janet "There's a reason Fayette County Schools continue to excel in almost every way you can measure success....."

Janet, it's because we have parents that support their children's education at every turn. Educated, involved, crazy for their kids parents.

Don't dare assert that it's because of the school board, it's in spite of the school board. People of Fayette county - - let's show Janet that we're not willing to take it any more! Janet represents Janet and her ego. She is caustic (at best) to her constituency and displays arrogant and unprofessional behavior at school board meetings with her sidekick Terri Smith that would make a WWF wrestler blush.

Our taxpayers deserve better. Let's make it happen!

Make sure you vote the primary (or get an absentee ballot) if you are going to be out of town on vacation. Shame on all of us if we let her get elected!

one last thing...Do you know the Wizard of Ozz? Well Honey, if you don't stop your rants...we will have a load of facts...and you won't like them.

I guess you didn't read the post. You weren't quoting Janet you were quoting the poster! If you and Old Beach Bear read anything other than blogs you would have known that statement wasn't part of hers. I think it's pretty clear from Janet's letter that she gave a great deal credit to the professionals she works with, who by the way Houston and Bacallo don't think are good enough according to their material. Talk about insulting teachers right out of the starting gate! Those of us that work with Janet and actually attend school board meetings will argue with you. Janet Smola is very professional, but clearly doesn't back down when deliberating for what she believes is best for the school system as a whole. You just can't stand the fact that under this leadership (by the way there are 5 board members) this system has continued to be the benchmark for excellence. I moved here for the school system excellence, I'll bet most people did.

Oh and how about Old Beach Bear who's favorite pastime by her own admission is sitting in court with handfulls of tickets, who is down on everything, clearly a racist, frequently in trouble with the law and, it would appear, is obsessed with hating the Smolas in general. Sure let's listen to someone that unbalanced and have them tell us what's best for our school system.

this is the only time I'll comment to you. I'm not running for office. People here will make up their minds on their own about Janet Smola. As for sitting with a handful of tickets. That phrase was meant as a joke..I had 1 ticket for running a stop sign I didn't run and decided to fight it. Strangely enough, I met several other people that day, same stop sign, even same office, all contesting and asking for a court date. That is hardly being in trouble with the law. If I was in trouble with the law...I wouldn't have a Federal security clearance...and I do! They don't grow on trees!

"There's a reason Fayette County Schools continue to excel in almost every way you can measure success."

I don't see she gives credit to ANYONE else. did she run out of ink?

" Change can be good, but change for the sake of settling the score because one's own children were redistricted is not a good reason for change."

That is downright mean, he is running to settle a score with Janet Smola? Oh please!

She is out classed give it up.

Yeah, we are all gonna get on the phone to Smola. If she hasn't listened to us in all these years, has done what she wanted to, hasn't done ANYTHING about the Fulton/Clayton kids, has buildt schools in the boonies instead of where they are needed. Yeah, I'm dialing her number right now. I'm sure we are wrong about her record.

Janet, it's because we have parents that support their children's education at every turn. Educated, involved, crazy for their kids parents.

Don't dare assert that it's because of the school board, it's in spite of the school board.

Well said and definitely true. Fayette has had some pretty sorry school boards at times, yet the students still achieve and the system has withstood board incompetence and arrogance. I think it's time to stop testing just how long the system can withstand poor leadership that gets in the way and starts to smell like a Clayco.

A good example of Smola arrogance(Mike or Janet..take your pick) is whenever she responds to parents raising the topic of how terribly cost-inefficient it is to start school in early August when it's 90+ degrees outside and the A/C has to be run non-stop, and oh yeah, it's also still summer so why start school in general? A Smola-ism: "Students are required by state law to attend 180 days a year." DUH! We already know that and it hasn't changed in many years! What DID change is the board deciding that the system needed extra breaks during the school year so it gets prolonged instead of starting at the end of August and ending the first of June. If you want year-round schooling, come out and just say it and stop with the gradualism BS of sneaking it through on parents a little bit at a time.

The other Smola answer to that same question is "other Metro school systems use a similar calendar." WHO CARES? This is what a child says to a parent: "everyone else is doing it." Please, show some leadership and don't assume the parents of Fayette are a bunch of idiots. Those two answers to why school starts the first week of August don't cut it. Neither does this board's answers on most issues.

Throw da bums out!

and that does make a big difference.

"In response to concerns of out of county students attempting to attend our schools, we have investigated 2430 suspected violators, removing 363 from our schools over a 4 year period. We have established a Welcome Center where all students must register in order to better scrutinize potential violators. Private investigators are used continually to investigate. Our policy remains clear; we will not allow students who do not live in Fayette County to attend Fayette County schools.
What a crock of do~do! INVESTIGATORS? They must surely be at Dunkin Donuts! Maybe the investigators should have read the paper when it was mentioned that one of the football players for Whitewater lived in Clayton county. This may come as a shock, but all any parent has to do is ...LOOK...at the LINE... of Clayton and Fulton county tags every day of our lives. This is a typical politician for you folks, or was that professional fundraiser?