School system

officials are still hopeful that more students will decide to take advantage

of a unique transfer opportunity to relieve overcrowding at Fayette County

High School, but the response has been light so far.

The Board of

Education decided in May to give Fayette County High students the option

of transferring to Sandy Creek High, which is below its core capacity,

if they wish. Fayette County High is extremely crowded and expects to

become more so in the next year or two, since there will be no redistricting

before the 2001-02 school year begins Aug. 10.

A letter was

sent June 20 to parents of Fayette County High students outlining the

possibilities.

"We've

heard from a few [students], but not many," said Larry Reeves, the

school system's pupil personnel director.

While there

is no deadline mentioned in the letter, Reeves suggests that time is short,

since the school year starts next week.

"If anyone

were planning to [transfer], they should do it before the 10th,"

he said. "We have to deal with transportation plans and other issues.

The earlier, the better."

Students wishing

to transfer must fill out official request forms and return them to Reeves'

office. The school system plans to process these requests as quickly as

possible, he said.

School board

policy typically dictates that a transfer student provide his or her own

transportation to the new school, but in this case, students would be

transported by bus from Fayette County High to Sandy Creek. Students with

their own transportation would be allowed to drive straight to Sandy Creek.

Another area

of concern is participation in extracurricular activities governed by

the Georgia High School Association. According to the letter, the GHSA's

"Migratory Rule" states that a student transferring from one

GHSA school to another without a corresponding move by parents or guardian

into the new school's district is declared a "migrant student"

and must wait one year to be eligible for athletics or other GHSA-sanctioned

competition.

"A migrant

student may practice with the varsity, but may not play in varsity competition,"

the letter reads. "They would be eligible after one year from enrollment."

Migrant students

are eligible for sub-varsity teams, such as ninth-grade and junior varsity.

All students entering ninth grade for the first time are exempt from this

rule and are eligible to participate in all varsity competitions.

A new high

school is to be open in two or three years in Fayette County, at which

time district lines will be redrawn and any transferring students would

attend the schools in their districts. A student who has attained senior

status when redistricting takes place would be allowed to remain at Sandy

Creek or attend the school serving his or her district.

In the meantime,

school officials await the decisions of other potential transfers who

might be looking for a new opportunity at a new school and help relieve

overcrowding in the process.

"We'll

see what happens," said Reeves.

Back

to