A charter school

could be just what's needed to serve students who fall through the cracks

in Fayette's school system, says Assistant Superintendent Stuart Bennett.

"It could

help students that are struggling, but on the other end, for the most

advanced students, it could offer another level of education that we can't

provide otherwise," Bennett told The Citizen.

He presented

the idea of a charter school to the Board of Education Monday night, and

reported his plans to seek a planning grant to begin the process. A group

of Fayette school officials has visited charter schools in Coweta and

Clarke counties and "putting together some basic concepts,"

said Bennett. "If we're going to offer the kind of school we want

to, we're going to probably step outside the lines a bit on this one,"

he said.

There were

no objections from the board, so he will keep working on the project.

"I think it's great," said Chairman Mickey Littlefield.

Charter schools

are a relatively new concept, and often are run by private nonprofit organizations

in partnership with local school boards. The idea is to provide programs

and resources that aren't possible within the framework of the school

system.

"There

would be a lot of opportunities for students, including those preparing

for post-secondary schools and in college preparation," said Bennett.

"We're not just going to make it a vocational school."

Vocational

courses will be part of the program, he said, possibly to include advanced

auto mechanics and computer technology. Latin classes and other academic

pursuits that might appeal to a small number of students might also be

part of the offerings, he added.

The charter

concept allows more freedom, Bennett said, so that students can take more

units in a day. The idea, he said, is to "develop, implement and

offer innovative learning opportunities for residents of Fayette County

to achieve economic and personal goals."

Plans are to

link the charter school to other programs at the LaFayette Educational

Center. The center currently houses the system's alternative school, community

school, evening high school and vocational-technical lab.

Among functions

at the school, according to a prospectus developed for the grant application,

will be:

Vocational,

technical and advanced instruction to students of the county's five high

schools in coordination with Griffin Technical College.

Evening high

school as a tenant of the charter school.

Local college

classes, community school activities and adult education classes.

The planning

grant will provide $5,000 to research the concept further and decide if

it's right for Fayette County, Bennett said.

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