Plans are in

place to put local advisory councils in at least three Fayette County

schools.

The Board of

Education Monday unanimously adopted a time line for establishing the

councils under education reform legislation passed last year.

Under the approved

time line, the councils will be chosen by May and begin meeting in August.

A policy to govern them will be adopted in April.

School Superintendent

John DeCotis said the plan is to pilot the school council concept in three

or four schools this coming school year, with plans to expand the program

to all county schools in 2002-2003. The councils will advise the school

board and administration on matters pertaining to each school.

In requiring

them, state lawmakers are calling for more parental and community involvement

in the running of local school systems.

New state law

requires school systems to have councils operating in one elementary,

one middle and one high school by October, if they want to keep receiving

state funding.

Under the proposal,

the pilot schools would be Starr's Mill High School, Whitewater Middle

and Braelinn Elementary, with tentative plans to also include Peeples

Elementary.

Bylaws and

codes of ethics for the councils have been adapted from those developed

for Marietta schools, and DeCotis is recommending that the councils use

those bylaws for four or five months, then amend them as necessary, after

sending suggested amendments to him for review.

Principals

are to notify the public of meetings in April, and the school board would

consider appointment of business representatives for the councils. Under

the law, principals would appoint one business partner and the board would

appoint another.

Councils are

required to have two business representatives, two parents and three teachers.

Election of

council members would be set for May, with training of the councils to

take place during June and July and meetings to begin in August.