There has been a great deal of coverage regarding the Fayette County Board of Education’s redistricting plan. Most of this has been in regard to the objections of Wilshire Estates residents and their subsequent victory when the board chose not to act.

As residents of the Pinegate subdivision and parents of students at Peachtree City Elementary we were also very involved in the discussions and process that preceded the board’s inaction. Many in our neighborhood e-mailed the members of the FCBOE to express our approval of the plan specifically in regard to PCES.

One parent e-mailed board member Janet Smola to inquire how to best present a petition from the Pinegate residents in favor of the move.

This parent was told by Ms. Smola, “You don’t need to do anything. We each heard significant positive e-mail messages about enabling Pinegate to go to Kedron.” With this information, we felt that our part of the plan would proceed forward.

After the decision not to redistrict was made at the December board meeting, we began asking why things changed so suddenly and continued to express our concerns about overcrowding issues.

We have tried to speak with board members and Superintendent Dr. DeCotis but are now being told we should have brought this up sooner. Most of our e-mails remain unanswered. This is not the way to deal with parents’ concerns.

Why do we want to move to Kedron Elementary? PCES teachers are excellent and our children are happy and learning. But our school is facing dramatic overcrowding and, at this point, 10 trailers accommodate our students’ needs.

With approximately 250 new students expected over the next three to five years, this means many more trailers.

Trailers are not necessarily an unacceptable alternative in and of themselves, but when there is a better option, it should be utilized.

The empty classrooms at Kedron Elementary are a better option. Why should Fayette County taxpayers see precious school funds used for additional trailers when there are classrooms available?

Yes, the board has granted that any students from overcrowded schools may voluntarily transfer and that is appreciated.

Parents must provide their own transportation, however, and those who rely on bus service are not able to accept this offer.

This puts a particular burden on two-income and single-parent families and divides our neighborhood. A solution just for those with a stay-at-home parent is not equitable.

The transfer application we received from the FCBOE also informs us that there are no guarantees that students will be able to stay at their transferred school year after year or that younger siblings will be guaranteed to be able to join them when they reach school age.

You can see the difficult situation in which our parents have been placed.

Repeatedly we have heard that the board decided not to act because it was a Band-aid approach. Frankly, a Band-aid sounds a lot better than doing nothing. If redistricting was an immediate concern in the fall, why is it now a problem that the board says it will address in a few years?

We all want what is best for the children of Peachtree City Elementary School. We urge the FCBOE to revisit the redistricting plan immediately and address our concerns in the best interest of our children.

Scott and Tracey Flandermeyer
Peachtree City, Ga.

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