In accordance

with that law, the seven-member councils are comprised of two elected

parents, two elected teachers and two appointed members of the business

community, and are chaired by the school's principal.

The councils

act as consensus-building bodies that focus on school improvement and

student achievement at their schools, and can act as a liaison with the

Coweta County Board of Education.

The 12 schools

getting school councils this year have declared special parent meetings

in order to elect parents to the councils. The school and the meeting

dates are:

·East

Coweta High School - May 7, 6:30 p.m.

·Madras

Middle School - May 6, 2002, 6:30 p.m.

·Smokey

Road Middle School - May 6, 6:30 p.m.

·Arbor

Springs Elementary School - May 7, 7 p.m.

·Atkinson

Elementary School - May 13, 6 p.m.

·Canongate

Elementary School - May 7, 6:30 p.m.

·Elm Street

Elementary School - May 7, 7 p.m.

·Jefferson

Parkway Elementary School - May 9 at 7 p.m.

·Moreland

Elementary School - May 9, 6:30 p.m.

·Northside

Elementary School - May 13, 6 p.m.

·Ruth

Hill Elementary School - May 13, 6 p.m.

·Western

Elementary School - May 9, 6 p.m.

Parents or

guardians at each of the schools will have an opportunity during the meetings

to elect two parent representatives for two-year terms on the councils.

The parent

representatives must have children at the school next year.

Teachers will

also elect two of their peers during separate May meetings.

Business community

members are drawn from representatives of the school's business partners.

The Coweta County Board of Education appoints one of the business members,

and the school councils themselves appoint a second business partner representative.

Though advisory

in nature, the councils are subject to the Georgia Open Records and Open

Meetings Act, meet every month, and are tasked with specific responsibilities.

The councils

also advise the principal and, where appropriate, the Board of Education

on matters such as school codes for conduct and dress, curriculum goals

and priorities, the preparation of a school profile and the school's improvement

plan, among other matters.

The three Coweta

County schools with councils already in place will not need to hold new

elections, because parents, teachers and business people are serving two-year

terms.

all Coweta County Schools will have school councils by the 2003-2004 school

year.