Get ready to

say good-bye to those unsightly portable classrooms parked at Booth Middle

School.

The Fayette

County Board of Education plans to proceed with building an expansion

of the school that could be open as early as December so it can be moved

into over the Christmas holidays, said Mike Satterfield of the FCBOE.

Once completed,

the 33,308-square-foot building will allow the trailers to be removed

for now at least, Satterfield told the Peachtree City Planning Commission

Monday evening. The commission unanimously approved the concept plat for

the expansion.

The new building

will be attached to the northwest corner of the school, adjacent to a

residential neighborhood. Satterfield said additional screening would

be used to help prevent the school from causing problems with its neighbors.

Satterfield

also agreed to a suggestion from the city to hold a meeting with nearby

residents to inform them of what's going to happen and hear their concerns.

The meeting will likely be scheduled in the next few weeks, as the city

will assist the BOE in contacting people living near the proposed expansion.

The expansion

plan calls for construction of a 20-foot-wide access road behind the current

school building to allow access for emergency vehicles, Satterfield said.

The new building

would bring the school's capacity to around 1,125-1,150 students, Satterfield

said. Currently, there are 1,060 students at the school with 105 staff

members.

Satterfield

guessed the next middle school for the area is likely five years away

from becoming a reality.

The school

system had considered building the expansion where the trailers are now,

but it would have cost more money to grade properly and it would have

knocked out some rather large pine and oak trees, Satterfield added.