Friday, November 30, 2001
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Friday, November 30, 2001 |
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School officials eye developments, ponder new districts By JOHN
THOMPSON
Fulton County School System officials are sharpening their pencils after this week's public meetings on redistricting students in South Fulton County. School System planning director Patrick Burke said school officials are looking at comments from residents to add to the information they've already gathered to place students at the new Dodson Road school site in Union City next year. Burke said the school will have a little over 500 students next year, and will draw the bulk of its students from the Stonewall Tell Elementary School district. But some students will also come from Campbell Elementary and Evoline West Elementary schools in Fairburn, so residents are watching the redistricting process closely. One of the major factors that Burke is using in this round of drawing lines is three major residential developments planned for South Fulton. The Cedar Grove development, along with Durham Lakes in Fairburn and a huge Torrey development planned for land near Interstate 85 have had school officials in constant contact with developers for projections. "In south county, we normally figure .2 elementary students for every residential unit. We're trying to make sure that we have a good number of students for the school when it opens and also to make sure that we can handle the growth," he said. The school system is also conducting hearings on redistricting plans for West Middle School in East Point, but Burke said that will affect a small number of students, because only 13 classrooms are being added to the facility. After the system gathers the community's input, it will present the information to the Fulton County school board for a first reading at its December meeting. The board will vote on the final lines in February.
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