In 2003, the Coweta County

School System faced a number of challenges with growing enrollment and

looking at innovative programs.

After conducting a secret ballot

vote in January, Rick Melville was elected chairman of the Coweta County

School Board.

The use of the secret ballot

for electing officers may have violated the spirit of Georgia's Open

Meetings Law, said Georgia First Amendment Foundation director Hollie

Manheimer.

"It certainly smacks of

limiting access to the public," Manheimer said.

She was unaware of a similar

case being litigated in the state, but said the issue sets a bad precedent.

"If we deny the public

the mechanism to see how things are done, it's not a truly open meeting,"

she said.

School board attorney Joe McNabb

said the board has done secret ballots on issues before and said the board

is governed by Robert's Rules of Order, which allows the secret election

method.

"The Georgia school board

council does not believe it's a violation," he said.

Later in the year, Coweta school

officials were feeling pretty good about the release of SAT scores.

The system's 1007 average

was 23 points above the state's average, but down two points from

last year's scores.

Northgate High School and East

Coweta High School posted significant increases in the average test score.

Newnan still led the school

system with a 1014 average score; Northgate posted a 1011 average score

with a 16-point increase; and East Coweta High School posted a 1000 average

score and rose seven points from last year's scores.

With growth now occuring in

the western part of the county, the board approved to build a new school

in Grantville.

The school is expected to cost

$6.5 million, and school officials are hopeful of getting $2.6 million

in funding from the state.

Board officials had to make

a decision early this fall to insure the school would be ready for opening

day next August.

School system officials are

still looking for all the funds for the project.

Late in the fall, the system

started looking at a unique partnership between the Coweta County School

System and Hollywood.

State legislators and school

officials are still evaluating a proposal for Central Education Center

to expand its educational mission to Riverwood Studios in Senoia.

CEC will lease 60,000 square

feet at the studio to teach its classes in an industrial setting.

The other 60,000 square feet

at the studio will still be used for moviemaking, and students may have

an opportunity to experience some interaction with some of Hollywood's

dream makers.

to the Senoia studio, CEC will now have more space at their Newnan campus

to expand their offerings.