Although

a quorum of the Fayette County Board of Education

will be made up of new members starting in

January, at least one far-reaching decision will

be made by the current board before new members

take their seat.

Terri

Smith, a parent and former Fayette County school

teacher from Brooks, took 60 percent of the vote

in last week's runoff election for school board

Post 2, edging out Kim Gatlin, a parent activist

and marketing specialist.

With

no opposition in the November General Election,

Smith will take her seat on the board in January.

Incumbent

Connie Hale lost her seat to former board member

and teacher Marion Key, who captured 59 percent

for Post 3. Key will face Democratic opponent

William Bryan, a semi-retired master electrician

from Peachtree City, in the General Election Nov.

7.

Three

members retire from the board this year.

Incumbents Woody Shelnutt and Debbie Condon did

not offer for reelection, and Condon will be

replaced by Janet Smola, who faced no opposition

in the General Primary July 18, and none in the

General Election.

The

board is grappling with the decision of whether

to place a funding referendum in the form of a

bond or special purpose local option sales tax on

the General Election ballot. Faced with

overcrowding at several schools this year and the

prospect of continued growth, members of the

board-appointed Facilities Advisory Committee,

School Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis and the

school system's administrative staff have

determined that action must to taken to address

the issue or school children may be faced with

undesirable options such as double sessions or

the trimester system in the near future.

Redrawing

school boundary lines in the most seriously

overcrowded school districts has been discussed

At

this point, Smith said she will support whatever

funding option the current board presents.

"They need the money to have the

buildings... at the very minimum every student

should be in a classroom, in a building. We need

to get those classrooms built," she said.

Key

has not decided which course to take if she is

elected, saying that a bond issue may be easier

to pass and would allow the school system to get

the money sooner, but that a SPLOST would be paid

off sooner than a 20- or 30-year bond.

Bryan,

Key's opponent, said he stands for choice in

education and favors a voucher program via

government grants. He has lived in Fayette County

for about four years and is conducting his

low-key campaign by way of handouts circulated at

public meetings. The 52-year-old father said he

believes public schools in general are

"anti-child and anti-Christian."

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