With more

than 200 angry parents, five television stations and four

newspapers looking on, the Coweta County Board of

Education approved a controversial redistricting plan for

seven of its elementary schools Tuesday night.

After the

5-1 vote was cast, the room erupted into a chorus of

boos, with several in the audience chanting "Recall

the school board." Police had to move in to help

clear the room as many of the angry parents screamed

their frustrations at the board.

The vote

was the final act of nearly year-long opera that consumed

school administrators, the school board and school

officials.

The

redistricting was done, according to school

administrators, to shift the county's low-achieving

students to other schools and to help prepare for the

county's continuous growth.

But the

parents who gathered Tuesday night at Evans Middle School

in Newnan believed the system's motives were elsewhere.

"It's

illegal and it's called busing," said parent Michael

Mayor in the comment section before the meeting began.

Emotional

mom Tracy Borman said she was extremely disappointed with

the school system.

"You're

using our small children to try and get better test

scores," she said.

Peter

Skrmetti asked why the board wanted public comment on the

matter when it seemed the matter was already decided.

Many in the

room said the impetus for the change was Pathway

Communities, the development company that is developing

the 2,500-home SummerGrove subdivision.

The new

subdivision is next to Newnan Crossing Elementary School,

which is the lowest ranking school in the system and also

is currently more than 80 percent minority.

Under the

approved lines, Newnan Crossing will decrease its

minority population to just over 30 percent, while White

Oak Elementary School will see its minority population

rise from 6 percent to 24 percent.

The loudest

applause during the comment section was for Jeffrey

Norieka who said he knew what he would do if the board

approved the lines.

"I

obtained an application for recall from the

superintendent of elections office today for board

members Smith Pass, Harry Mullins, Beth Wagstaff, Bill

Covington, Mike Sumner and Rick Melville. I will make it

my duty as a citizen to collect the sponsors for the

recall and obtain 30 percent of the registered voters'

signatures needed in order to make this happen. You have

the ability to stop that action," he said.

After

Norieka spoke, the board started deliberating the lines.

Director of operations Doug Bennett recommended a few

minor changes, including leaving all students on the Ga.

Highway 154 corridor at their current school, Poplar

Road.

Bill

Covington made the motion to approve the lines and was

the only board member who spoke.

Covington

said the board had been struggling with this problem for

over a year and had looked at all the options.

"We

just want to make sure we treat all kids fairly," he

said.

The new

lines passed 5-1, with Wade Corley casting the dissenting

vote.

After the

vote, parents left the meeting vowing the school board

had not heard the last of the issue.