It’s going to be a little more crowded this year when school starts Monday.

According to school system public information officer Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, 23,093 students are expected for the first day of classes.

That’s 802 more students than ended the school year in May. Traditionally, the school system each fall has grown about 600 students over the last few years.

When the students arrive, they’ll see several changes in the school system. One of the biggest issues during the last school year, the problem of out-of-system students is being aggressively targeted this year.

The system is implementing system-wide residency checks, prosecution of parents taking out false affidavits and centralized registration to help thwart students attending county schools illegally.

Berry-Dreisbach said the cost to educate one child is approximately $7,800 per year, and it is important that the school system take the steps necessary to ensure that all students attending its schools have a legal right to do so.

That’s why all students enrolled in the school system, no matter how long they have attended a county school, will be required to verify proof of residency by Aug. 31.

“Our students are our number one priority and we want to assure the taxpayer of Fayette County that their tax revenues are being invested in those students who are legal residents of Fayette County,” said Sam Sweat, assistant superintendent of school operations in a press release this week.

In order to provide proof of residency, parents/guardians will need to provide one of the following documents: original warranty deed (with name and address of parent/guardian on the deed), original signed lease agreement (with name and address of parent/guardian on the lease agreement) or current gas or electric bill (water, cable, telephone, etc., will not be accepted) with the name and address of the parent/guardian on the bill.

If one of these documents cannot be produced, then a property owner’s affidavit will be required. This form can be obtained from the attendance/residency officer at the LaFayette Educational Center, 770-460-3990, ext. 221.

Knowingly providing false information on an affidavit is a felony. The board of education, in conjunction with Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, will prosecute individuals who provide false statements on affidavits. The school system will also seek back tuition from parents who have illegally enrolled students in a Fayette County school.

The school system conducted 427 residency checks last year resulting in 127 students being withdrawn because they were unable to prove residency.

New principals

Two new principals will lead schools this year. Randy Hudson is the new principal at Spring Hill Elementary. Hudson replaces Michael Howell who retired at the end of last year.

According to Berry-Dreisbach, Hudson has worked in the school system for five years, starting at Kedron Elementary as a fifth grade teacher. Prior to his promotion to principal, he was the assistant principal at Fayetteville Intermediate where he was involved with the adoption of a new school-wide discipline plan and a weekly acceleration day called “Thrilling Thursday.”

Before coming to Fayette, Hudson worked as an eighth grade teacher at McNair Middle in Fulton County and was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army prior to becoming a certified teacher.

Erin Roberson, principal at Peeples Elementary, will begin her first full year at the school’s helm this year, Berry-Dreisbach added. She replaced former principal Sandra Watson in March when Watson was promoted to director of elementary school improvement/professional learning.

Roberson had been the assistant principal at Peeples for three years.

Heart-Safe schools

The Fayette County School System is celebrating a milestone as it welcomes students and staff back to school.

Another change this year is that all 29 schools, including the alternative and evening high, as well as the school system’s office buildings, are equipped with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units.

According to a press release, many schools have also implemented Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Project SAVE Program and are designated “Heart-Safe Schools.” This prevention program includes use of the pre-participation sports physical form to help identify students at risk, awareness of the school staff of the warning signs and treatment of sudden cardiac death, CPR/AED training and overall implementation of an AED program. This year’s goal is to make all schools “Heart-Safe Schools.”

Berry-Dreisbach said there are 36 American Heart Association Basic Life Support Instructors in the school system. During the 2005-06 school year, 420 school staff members were certified in Heartsaver CPR/AED and 310 school staff members certified in Heartsaver First Aid. The school staff includes principals, teachers, custodians and coaches.

This school year all athletic coaches are required to be certified in CPR/AED and First Aid.

New laws affect schools

Berry Dreisbach also said that students and parents will be receiving their copies of the 2006-2007 Student Code of Conduct during new student orientation and on the first day of school Monday for returning students.

Attached to the Code of Conduct is a signature sheet that must be signed by both the parent and student (required by law if the student is 10 years of age or older) indicating that they have read and understand the policies and guidelines and returned to the child’s homeroom teacher during the first week of school.

New this year for both elementary and secondary students is a club opt-out option that parents can use to prevent their students from joining particular clubs or organizations, according to a new state law, she added.

Since clubs vary by school, individual schools will provide an information sheet to parents as a supplement to the student code of conduct. The supplement will contain the name of each club and organization, mission or purpose, name of the club’s faculty advisor and a description of past or planned activities.

A parent can choose to decline permission for a student to participate in a club or organization by indicating so on the comment section of the signature sheet attached to the student code of conduct.

One of the other new laws gives students an additional excused absence from school. Berry-Dreisbach said students with parents in the military will be given up to five excused absences per year so that they can spend time with their parents who are being deployed or are on leave. This law applies to both elementary and secondary students.

Eligible students and parents will also have the option to withhold contact information from the United States military. In the past, schools have been required by law to share student contact information with military recruiters if requested to do so.

A new law this year gives parents and eligible students the choice of not releasing directory information to recruiters. Those who wish to withhold their information can do so by indicating their choice to opt out on the comment section of the signature sheet attached to the student code of conduct.

In addition to highlighting the new state laws in effect for this school year, the signature sheet also reminds parents of the existing state laws governing unexcused absences and attendance/discipline and driver’s licenses.

According to the compulsory education law, after a child has accumulated 10 unexcused absences per semester, and the parent or guardian has been notified by the school system, the parent or guardian is guilty of a misdemeanor each additional day a child is absent and court action may be pursued for formal intervention.

Additionally, any eligible student who has 10 or more unexcused absences during both the current and previous academic year, has dropped out of school or is guilty of certain disciplinary offenses outlined by state law will not be eligible to hold or receive a driver’s permit or a driver’s license for one year.

It’s also been a busy summer for the construction department as it geared up for the new year. The department completed a new addition at Rising Starr Middle School, an addition at Peeples Elementary School and an addition at Spring Hill Elementary.

“We’re ready for the kids to come back and have a great year,” said Berry-Dreisbach.