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ATLANTA-FULTON COUNTY EDUCATION COMMISSION PROVISIONS FOR CREATIHG AN ATLANTA-FULTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT The General Assembly of Georgia at the request of its representatives from Fulton and DeKalb counties created a Local Education Co1mri.ssion in 1964 and charged the Commission with responsibility: To study the desirability and feasibility of combining the school systems of Fulton County and the City of Atlanta, including the portion thereof lying in DeKalb County; to provide that said Commission may draft a plan or plans for the combining of such school systems and submit same to members of the General Assembly from Fulton and DeKalb Counties. The Commission was appointed and conducted the requested study, releasing its report in February, 1966. The report reconnnended the dissolution of the Atlanta and Fulton County School Districts and the creation of a new district in their stead. A plan for creating the proposed new district was included in the report which outlined the steps necessary for carrying out this recommendation. The report of t he Commission was accepted by the legislative delegation representing Fulton and DeKalb counties. After due deliberation of the recommendations, the legislative group secured approval for continuation of the Commission and reque sted it to carry out the steps which it had defined as being necessary for dissolving the present school districts and creating the proposed new district. This memorandum outlines the tasks involved in creating the proposed new district and suggests how these steps may be executed. Five distinct but related tasks are essential in carrying out this latest charge to the Connnission. They are: �1. Legal work which is necessary in order to dissolve the two present districts and to create the proposed new district. 2. Educational planning necessary to assure orderly and effective transition from the present two districts to the proposed single district. 3. Suggestion on the initial role of the new board of education. 4. A program for developing public understanding of the proposed new district and the reasons which support its creation. S. Allocations of responsibility fQr getting done the necessary tasks. Each of the five steps is outlined briefly in the following pages. The assumption is made that the plans for the proposed district and the characteristics of the district included in the 1966 report of the Commission are acceptable. They are, therefore, reported in this doc1.nnent where appropriate. LEGAL WORK Substantial legal tasks must be undertaken and completed in order to establish the proposed new school district. It is not possible to define with certainty all of these tasks at present because there is no existing overview of legislation and court decisions affecting the present Fulton Cot1nty and Atlanta School Districts although major task areas can be defined. These follow: 1. Compil e and analyze the legi slat ion and court decisi ons whi ch curr ently affect the Atlanta and Fult on County School Districts. Since thi s has never been done , ther e is no way of knowing at present t he pr ecise dimensions of this t a sk. 2. Prepare the legislation which must be adopted in order to abolish the Atlanta and Fulton County School Districts. Until the necessary �research has been completed, there is no way of knowing just what this step involves • . Whether a .single piece of. legislati on general in nature ,rill suffice or whether specific measures repealing separate ~a~s relating to such subjects as taxation, bonding capacity, and so forth, are required remains to be seen. 3. Provide for meeting present a~d future unfilfilled legal and moral commitments of the Atlanta and Fulton County School Districts. ' . Indebtedness, outstanding bonds, retirement provisions and tenure rights are examples of such cormnitments. Current welfare provisions for personnel may be continued or provisions can be made in new legislation to protect earned rights of present personnel through incorporation in any new welfare provisions which might be created for the school district. Establishing eligibility of the new school district for s t ate funds is an illustration of another type of protect ion, as is assurance that current salary levels ,rill not suffer in the transition. 4. Arr ange f or the transfer of propert ies of present school districts to t he proposed new distr ict. 5. Prepare a cons titutional amendment f or creati ng the new school di strict. This is an essential st ep under Geor gi a l aw. The amendment should be expres sed in gener al t erms insofar a s feasible, leaving as many of the speci f i c provisions concerning t he district a s possible to be taken care of outside the frame,rork of constitutional mandates. The amendment would necessarily specify the boundaries of the district, define its basic structure, and outline its powers. Such would be done within the limitations of other constitutional pr ovisions affecting schools and school districts. For example, the_ �amendment would have to be consistent with the constitutional definition of the State's r~sponsibility for public schools. '! Legal provisions to be made either by constitutional amendment or statutory acts incl~de creation of a board of education of seven members elected at large for terms of six years, one from each .of seven subdivisions of the district of approximately the sarae number of persons. The amendment or enabling legislation should prescribe how the subdivisions are to be formed and how they are to be redivided as population changes dictate. Provisions should be made for the initial board to be elected as follows: three members to serve the full six-year term, two members to serve fouryear terms, and two members to serve two-year terms. Thereafter, the board members would be elected as existing terms of members expire. Vacancies should be filled by appointment of the board until the next election at which time unexpired terms will be filled by the voters. It will also be necessary to make provisions for a referendum to determine whether or not the amendment is to be approved (approval of voters of both districts is thought to be necessary). Provisions should be made in the event the constitutional amendment is approved for the board members of the Atlanta and Fulton County Districts to serve as the board of education for the new district until the new board is elected and can talce office. A schedule should be worked out, if needed, for shifting to the seven-man board elected as herein prescribed. �Board members should serve without compensation, receiving pay only for necessary expenses incurred in carrying out their duties as members of the Board of Education The proposed new district should consist of the present At lanta District, including the part which is in DeKalb County, and the present Fulton County District. A fundamental task is providing for a sound fiscal base for the proposed school dist rict. Establishing eligibility for St ate funds, I establishing eligibilit y for Federal funds, and providing for sound local support are necessary considerations. f The school board should be authorized to determine ~he property tax for supporting the school i syst em, as the Atlanta Schopl Board does at present. Furthermore , a uniform property assessmen~ plan for the entire district should be adopted and homestead exemptions eliminated. Sources of local school suppor t i n addition to the pr operty tax should be found. 6. If the pr oposed new school district is ·approved by t he voters , a transition committee should be es t ablished immediatel y to work out the many plans and details essential t o an or derly transition from two districts t o one. The transition committee should include the two superintendent s of school s , the chairman of each board of education, the fiscal officer of each s chool system, the assistant superintendent for instruction of each school system, and such other individuals as may seem appropriate. This committee should be r esponsible for the detailed transition plan to be appr oved by each board of education. 7. If the single school district is approved, the two present school systems should continue as at present for the balance of the s chool �year in which approval occurs and an additional full year in order to allow time for completion of needed transition plans. 8. The board of education for the new district should be elected as soon as possible after the approval of the constitutional amendment and should formally organize itself without delay and proceed at once with the selection of a superintendent. A superintendent should be employed and he should .begin his work as far in advance of the creation of the new school district as is possible . 9. EKecute any other legal assignments which are appropriate in the light of the analysis of pertinent legislation and court decisions and necessary provisions to assure creation of a school district conforming to recommendations of the Commission in its 1966 report. EDUCATIONAL PLANNING An enormous volume of work must be completed before the proposed school district can go into operation. I1any policies must be decided upon and much specific and detailed planning completed in order to assure the proper functioning of the new district. Hajor categories of policy development and needed provisions for operational guides under each are listed below. As is true of legal aspects described above , a precise definition of all of the steps necessary in this stage of planning is not possible presently and must await further exploration of current policies and practices of the tlro school systEIIIS. Finance 1. Develop guides and procedures for making the annual school budget. 2. Develop plans and procedures for purchasing. �r 3. Develop plans for necessary and appropriate financial accounting. 4. Develop a budget for the new school district. Personnel 1. Develop a system of personnel records for professional and other school personnel. 2. Develop salary schedules for professional and other personnel. 3. Develop a retirement system or systems. 4. Develop policies concerning employment practices for both professional and non-professional personnel. S. Develop policies regarding tenure, sick leave, vacations, leaves of absence for prof essi onal growth, and others as needed. 6. Propose a method of combining the two central office staffs. 1. Develop a system of r ecords f or pupil accounting. 2. Make r ecommendations concer ning the visiting teacher pr ogram. Pupils Administrative Structures and Regulations 1. Develop a plan for the internal organization and administration of the new school district incl uding appropriat e policies and definitions of responsibility. 2. Reach decisions on administ rative and supervisory services to be provided. 3. Develop policies regarding the size of schools. 4. Develop general school regulations such as length of the school day, ntm1ber of days in the school year, and designate holidays. �5. Develop a school calendar for the first year of the new system. 6. Reconnnend the future of the Metropolitan School Development Council. Curriculum 1. Determine the curricula to be offered. 2. Develop plans for kindergartens 'in schools now in the Fulton County District. 3. Develop policies for selection and distribution of instructional materials. 4. Determine the special professional personnel to be provided such as librarians, school psychologists, counselors, and reading specialists. 5. Ascertain the curriculum adjusnnents which are necessary in the transition period and suggest how they are to be made. 6. Recorrnnend policies regarding expansion of school programs with special reference to junior colleges, vocational and technical education, and adult education. 7. Hake recommendations concer ning t eacher loads, including pupilteacher ratios. Services 1. Reach decisions on services to be provided by the school districts such as transportation, food, and health services and how they should be provided. 2. Determine the non-professional personnel to be provided such as �.,. lunchroom workers, custodians, and secretaries. 3. Reconnnend plans for st oring and handling textbooks and other instructional supplies. · Maintenance i!:m! Operation 1. · Develop policies regarding kinds, numbers, types, and levels of competence needed by personnel ~n Maintenance and Operation. 2. Develop policies and procedures on the maintenance and operation programs. 3. Develop policies and procedures concerning work assignments and responsibilities of personnel. Other 1. Make reconnnendations concerning organizations which should exist i n the new s chool districts such as Parent -Teacher Associ ati ons, local t eacher s associations, and the various student organizations . INITIAL ROLE OF THE PROPOSED N:Bv BOARD OF EDUCATION Just how specifi c a bluepri nt f or transit i on should be is t o a considerable extent a matter of def inition. At one extreme is a plan which provides only the basic legal provisions necessary for bringing the new district into being. At the other extreme is a plan which includes the multitude of basic policies, operational procedures and allocations of responsibility essential to the effective functioning of a school district. The plan presented in this document embraces the first extreme and also the second to the extent that the Connnission accepts responsibility for the essential educational planning which must precede the operational phase of a �new ~istrict. As already indicated, this planning consists largely of d~yeloping reconnnended policies and procedures consistent with the basic charter of the proposed new district as outlined above and decisions of the , Connnission with respect to the nature and quality of programs and services it thinks the new district should provide. However, only that which is man- dated by law will be binding on the new Board of Education. In a sense, the Commission is acting in these matters as an agent of a school district which is yet to be created and what it proposes in the realm of educational planning is for study and action by the ne,v Board of Education unless areas are involved where decisions have been made already. PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROPOSED NEW DISTRICT Since public schools are the business of the public, every opportunity should be seized upon to help the public keep as fully informed as possible on school problems, issues, needs, and the nature of good schools. A well informed public is essential to successful decision making on educational policies and plans. Therefore, a major task in considering the proposed basic shift in the educational structure of Atlanta and Fulton County is developing and distributing among all citizens adequate information on the proposed change and the reasons which lead to the proposal. The report of the Corranission with its treatment of both sides of the issue of a single school district should be made available to all citizens and its contents should be widely publicized. Therefore, if the proposed constitutional amendment is adopted and a referendum is held, the referendtun should be preceded by a systematic and well organized public information program. �11Ia.ss media of commu..,ication should be employed to develop interest and public understanding. Newspaper coverage should be stressed. and television should be used extensively. 30th radio The pros and cons of the pro- , posed district reorganization plan should be presented through all three media. In addition, presentations to civic clubs, Parent-Teachers Associa- tions, and other formal groups should be stimulated. should be used in this program. Uany informed citizens Among such citizens should be leaders from all walks of life, especially school leaders, including Joard of Education members. Dy the time the election is held, all citizens should be fully informed on the issues at stake. In no other ,ray is it possible to reach an adequate decision on the school organization issue. GETI'ING THE JOB DONE It is the responsibility of the coordinator appointed by the Commission to prepare and submit to the Commission the transition plan as outlined above. An adequate plan requires bringing into play an array of specialized competence beyond the ken of any single individual; therefore, extensive use should be made of carefully selected consultants. The legal work should be entrusted to Mr. Pete La.timer, Attorney for the Atlanta Doard of Education, and Hr. Jaraes Groton, Attorney for the Fulton County 3oard of :Education. Dr. n. L. Johns, University of Florida, or some one of comparable stature in school finance , should be sucured as a consultant on all planning involving finance, purchasing, and accounting. Dr. Willard Elsbree, Emeritus Professor of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, or some other authority in personnel, should be secured �as a consultant on policies and procedures concerning all categories of personnel. This assignment would include proposed salary schedules and wel- fare provisions. Curriculum authorities should be consulted as needed. A committee of leading citizens should be appointed and given responsibility for conducting an adequate public information program. The Commission should appoint this committee upon recommendation of personnel by the Atlanta and Fulton County school superintendents and approval by the two boards of education. Appropriate professional personnel should be available to the committee. Appropr iate personnel from the two school systems should be involved i n t he development of proposed policies and procedures, especially in infor mation and eval uation r oles. THP:jp 8/12/66 �