Fayette voters will decide in the Nov. 7 general election whether

to approve bonds to fund several new schools. The Fayette County

Board of Education in a 3-to-2 vote Monday night approved calling

for a bond referendum rather than a special local option sales tax.

School Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis recommended that the board

take action immediately in order to beat the month-end deadline

for placing a referendum on the ballot. "If we miss this opportunity,

we'd have to do it [as a] special election again," DeCotis

said, noting the cost of running a special referendum election is

$30,000.

School finance director Jim Stephens said the school district now

has $80 million outstanding in bond indebtedness. The maximum allowed

is $260 million, before reassessments, or 10 percent of the net

tax digest. "We're far away from being maxed out,"

Stephens said.

During the referendum discussion, DeCotis said his personal preference

was for a bond. "I'm leaning toward a bond. You get the

money up front; you don't have to wait for the money to trickle

in (like a sales tax)... you know how much you have... you can provide

the citizens with quicker relief."

Board Chairman Debbie Condon said, "I truly believe SPLOST

is the way to go, but I will vote for a bond if it will help the

children..."

Board member Woody Shelnutt voted against the recommendation, along

with board member Connie Hale. "It leaves a lot of things unsaid...

will we be prepared (for the referendum) or will this be perceived

as a shotgun marriage... it's awful quick."

Shelnutt, Hale and Condon will step down at the end of the year,

leaving three new board members to deal with the ramifications of

a passed or failed referendum. "If the referendum passes in

November, they are the ones to get it pushed," Shelnutt said.

Last year's push for a special local options sales tax (SPLOST)

failed, as did another attempt before that. Despite the popularity

of SPLOSTs as a funding mechanism among 144 Georgia school districts,

Fayette County voters are split on the issue.

Fayette remains the

only county in the state which has held a SPLOST referendum and

defeated it.

The board will meet again tonight at 7:30 p.m. to work out the specifics

of the bond referendum such as the amount and projects to be funded.

Based on the figures contained in the school district's Five

Year Facilities Plan, top priorities include additions at Whitewater,

J.C. Booth and Fayette middle schools, which are already funded

and ready to begin construction this fall at a local cost of a little

more than $1 million with state funding of about $6 million, three

elementary schools at approximately $8 million each, and upgrades

and renovations at 13 schools totalling $10.3 million.

Proposed additional facilities contained in the plan include a new

middle school for $14 million and a new high school for $26 million.

The total of all the projects, minus the middle school additions

which are already budgeted, and the middle and high school comes

to $37,384,000. These figures are solely for construction and do

not include land costs, school furnishings and start up fees.

DeCotis nudged the board toward a vote, following a review of the

recommendations made by the board-appointed Facilities Advisory

and Action Committees. Last week, the action committee voted 11-to-4

to suggest a SPLOST, adding they would support either a SPLOST or

bond, while the advisory group voted 9-to-7 for a bond, also promising

support of either funding option.

The group met a half dozen times to grapple with options on how

to deal with overcrowding in the county schools. With almost all

facilities at or exceeding student capacity levels, one thing was

clear - some action must be taken.

The committee, composed of school officials, parents, municipal

and county officials and building and development professionals

prioritized possible options for dealing with overcrowding whether

a referendum is passed or not. These recommendations are to add

portable classrooms at overcrowded schools whenever feasible, redistrict

the most overcrowded facilities to make best use of available classroom

place in less crowded schools, consider double or split sessions

and finally, consider a trimester year-round school program.

Board members-elect Janet Smola and Terri Smith came forward at

the end of the meeting to note their appreciation of the council's

concern for their position and voice support of the board's

decision. The November election will decide who will take Post 3,

either former board member Marion Key or Bill Bryan, who is running

as a pro-school-choice candidate.

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