My children have long since left the Fayette County School System where they all received excellent educations and each got to go to the universities of their choice.
Many people will agree that one of the mitigating factors that brought them to Fayette County was the excellent school system, it was for us.
My gravest concern now is, if we are not careful as a community, what we take for granted could be lost. Excellent schools are important to everyone not just those who have children in the school but those who don’t.
Having excellent schools not only impacts our property values in a positive way but it also impacts our quality of life and our ability to attract people to our community with shared values.
With the many current changes going on in the leadership of the Fayette County School System, for the first time in 23 year I am seriously concerned about the future of our schools.
We need stability and proven leadership to help us through the hard decisions we face as the revenues that Fayette County once received from the state and from property taxes have been cut significantly over the past four year in particular.
Terri Smith is the incumbent running for the school board on Nov. 6. Her dedication and commitment to the school system over the past decade has been commendable. She served as chair of the Board of Education for 5 years during which time the Fayette County received the Board of Standards and Board of Distinction Award from the Georgia School Board Association
Not only has she shown her leadership in Fayette County but has been an advocate for education on the regional, state and national level in her role as a school board member. She has gone before our legislature advocating for improvements in education. Now is not the time to change courses. We need Terri Smith’s proven leadership to help navigate us through some very challenging times. Her commitment to Fayette County is proven. We need her continued dedicated service to our community.
Terri supports the E-SPLOST and so do I. If our school system doesn’t do well then our community doesn’t do well. I implore my fellow citizens to look at the big picture when casting your ballots and to re-elect Terri Smith for school board.
Dawn C. Oparah
Peachtree City, Ga.
