Parents at

Coweta County Schools finally learned this week that only two school would

be offering a "school choice" program this year.

School choice

will be offered at Jefferson Parkway and Elm Street Elementary Schools

during the 2002-2003 school year, following the issuance of state guidelines

that indicate that the Coweta County School System has only two schools

identified for voluntary school choice under state and federal rules.

The school

system's curriculum department said that parents of six students at Jefferson

Parkway and parents of one child from Elm Street Elementary School have

asked for transfer under the policy, which goes into effect Aug. 12.

The voluntary

school choice provisions for the two schools were called for under the

reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Act (the

federal "No Child Left Behind Act"). Under that act, schools

receiving federal Title I funds that are listed as "needs improvement"

and who do not then make "adequate progress" face various provisions,

including voluntary school choice with transportation services provided

Earlier in

the summer, an original list of two schools affected by the federal law

rose to five schools, following a change in state standards in administering

the law. Those schools included Elm Street, Jefferson Parkway, Atkinson,

Eastside and Arnco-Sargent Elementary Schools. The state Department of

Education sent a revised list of standards on Aug. 7, removing the other

three schools from the "needs improvement" list.

"Arnco-Sargent,

Atkinson and Eastside all made adequate progress last year, and are not

required to offer school choice for the 2002-03 school year," said

Dr. Judy Robinson, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum. The school

system notified parents at all five schools in June of the policy administering

the school choice provisions.

Parents at

the three schools coming off the list were notified by writing last week

of the change in policy.

"We regret

any inconvenience parents and children may experience," said Dr.

Peggy Connell, Superintendent of the Coweta County School System. "We

have acted on the best information we have received throughout the summer."

Students from

Jefferson Parkway can transfer to Northside Elementary School under the

policy, and Elm Street students can transfer to Newnan Crossing Elementary

School. Adequate capacity at both schools allowed for all requested student

transfers.