The Fayette County Association of Educators (FCAE) met last week so that school system employees could pose questions and get answers from legislators on the state’s position on impending education cuts.

Seven people attended, aside from legislators, school board members and administrators.

Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) representative Mark Perez at the beginning of the meeting said the few people attending could be attributed to the fact that the meeting was hastily called. Perez also introduced Rep. Virgil Fludd (District 66) and Rep. John Yates (District 73).

Rep. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) was unable to attend as was Sen. Ronnie Chance (R-Tyrone), who said later that he had been out of the country and had not been able to go through all his emails since returning.

School board member Bob Todd suggested it would help the school system if the legislature would change the April contract deadline for teachers to mid-May to give school boards additional time to make any needed adjustments to actions that might be forthcoming by the General Assembly.

School system Comptroller Laura Brock made a similar point.

“We got the news (last year) of cuts after we set the budget. And we have to, by law, issue contracts to teachers in April,” Brock said.

Fludd, responding to Brock and Todd, said perhaps that could be changed to accommodate a later contract deadline date.

FCAE representative Dana Camp noted the growing number of foreclosures and diminished property tax collections and asked what the legislature could do to help Fayette and other counties to achieve 100 percent collections.

Fludd in response said he expected to see a discussion by the new federal administration on re-working mortgages so that people can stay in their homes.

“We need to find ways to keep people in their homes so taxes can be paid,” he said.

Explaining that he lived through the Great Depression, Yates said the current economic crisis is one in which tough decisions must be made and stuck with, adding that each problem should be dealt with individually.

It was clear during the meeting that Fludd and Yates understood the situation faced by school system employees, including the possibility of cuts in benefits or in other areas. That we allocate $100 million to a fishery is good, but times are tight, said one in the audience. Fludd agreed, adding that more than 50 percent of the state budget goes to education.

Toward the end of the meeting, Fludd stressed that legislators need input from school system employees.

“We need educators to say what (state budget) cuts are made rather than the legislature deciding,” Fludd said. “So we need suggestions ahead of time.”

Perez said GAE would like to conduct a second session in Peachtree City in coming weeks.

Also attending the meeting was school board member Marian Key and school system Assistant Superintendent for Operations Sam Sweat.