The Coweta

County School System saw many changes in 2002.

Early in the

year, the Coweta County Board of Education and the city of Newnan finalized

a joint property agreement last week, which outlines the responsibilities

of the two governments for construction and management of the joint site

for the school system's Fine Arts Center and the city's Conference Center,

on Lower Fayetteville Road in Newnan.

The agreement

completes the last step in the city and school board's negotiations, and

paves the way for the construction of the school system's 999-seat Fine

Arts Center.

Long-time Superintendent

of Education Richard Brooks also called it quits during the early part

of the year.

Brooks has

worked his entire 30-year education career in the Coweta system, and has

served as superintendent during Coweta's high-growth period during the

last decade. Peggy Connell replaced Brooks as superintendent

In March, Coweta

County voters overwhelmingly approved the school system's special purpose

local option sales tax Tuesday and left school officials and senior citizens

with a big smile on their face.

When all the

votes were tallied, 6,342 voted for SPLOST, while 2,395 voted no.

Last year,

voters turned down SPLOST by fewer than 100 votes.

Also on the

ballot was a measure that would provide senior citizens some relief from

paying school taxes. It won by an even large margin, with 7,434 voting

for it while 1,327 voted no.

The senior

citizen referendum will raise property tax exemptions to exempt the first

$40,000 of assessed value for Coweta County property owners aged 65 to

69; $60,000 assessed value for citizens aged 70 to 74; and $80,000 assessed

value for citizens 75 and over.

The renewal

of the SPLOST will bring in an estimated $90 million over five years,

said school officials, and is targeted at repayment of outstanding debt

from bond referendums in the early 1990s, new school construction and

a host of classroom additions, repairs and refurbishments at existing

schools.

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