Maintaining

high academic standards and dealing with growing

needs for housing students tops the list of

Fayette school superintendent Dr. John DeCotis'

priorities for the 2000 school year.

Three

"report cards" which rate state schools

have ranked Fayette County schools tops in

performance. "We are pleased with our high

standards, but we want to study where we can make

improvements," DeCotis said.

One

area he intends to focus on is the college

preparatory program in the high schools. State

requirements have made scheduling extremely tight

for students. DeCotis said he wants to explore

ways students can have more choices in selecting

classes.

While

the student population has slowed a bit in

Fayette County and across the state, DeCotis

said, "The rate is still greater than we

would like." An estimated 250 new students

have enrolled in Fayette schools since August,

about half the number expected. The annual

increase experienced in the last seven years has

been about 700 new students.

The

Fayette County Board of Education will meet in a

called session at 7 p.m. Monday evening, Jan. 10

at the Board of Education office. The board will

elect a chairman and vice chairman and appoint an

attorney for the year.

Debbie

Condon is the current school board chairman. Vice

chairman is Greg Powers. Meeting dates will also

be set for the year.

The

next regular meeting will be Monday, Jan. 24.

<!--

-----------