next year, businesses wanting to locate in South Fulton County can look

at a report card of the community's schools.

The South Fulton

Chamber of Commerce is working on developing the criteria for creating

a community report card for the Fulton County School System.

Chamber director

John Boothby said Jim Price is heading up the effort and did a wonderful

job last year in laying the groundwork for creating the report card.

Now, the chamber's

Education Committee is looking at what elements will be included in the

report card.

Some of the

elements the chamber is looking at include:

Drop-out rate.

Average SAT

scores.

Parents involved

in the children's education.

Teenage pregnancy

rate.

Poverty rate.

The Education

Committee also is looking at other variables to include in the community

report card.

Some of those

include personal safety, access to retail outlets, taxes and population

growth.

The Education

Committee is now accepting members who would like to work on some of the

creative efforts to work toward the chamber's goals.

Monthly meetings

are at 3 p.m. at the chamber office at 6400 Shannon Parkway, Union City.

The first meeting is scheduled for Jan. 10. After the first one, the meetings

will continue on first Thursdays.

If you would

like to attend this initial meeting of 2002, phone Patsy Dodgen at 770-964-1984.

For information phone Jim Price at 404-660-1853.