Next year,

Coweta's ninth graders could be experiencing a unique education experience.

For the last

year, the Coweta County Board of Education has talked about starting a

ninth-grade academy. Neighboring Troup County has an academy that serves

as a transition stage for students going into high school, said Superintendent

of Education Richard Brooks.

"It's

an effort to give specific skills and orientation to those students entering

high school," he said.

Troup County

houses all of their ninth-grade students in a separate facility. While

Coweta is not considering a new building, Brooks would like to see all

the ninth-graders separated from the rest of the high school students.

"We'd

like to see it where they're only taking classes with other ninth-graders,"

he said.

The Superintendent

is also talking about having a mandatory class for all students entering

high school that would outline study skills and give them an overview

of the high school experience.

"The board

is still studying all the elements of this. If they decide to go with

it, we'd like to start it next year," Brooks said.