The Polk School District Board of Education met in special session on Tuesday morning at 10am and in the evening at 6pm for the purpose of receiving community input regarding “re-districting”.
State Senator Bill Heath was in attendance for the morning session and several citizens were on hand to ask present board members about the changes re-districting would bring.
In the evening session, former school board member Joe McLendon expressed his desire to see the school board reduce to seven. Proponents of each option were asked to state why each plan would work for Polk County.
Board member Andy Fairel gave re-assurance when stating “Reducing will not impact student achievement.”
Tara O’Neal stated, “The county is too small to have this many members.” Crystal Sproull cited the fact that it is “difficult to work together” with so many members.
Tommy Sanders said he believed that there were too many changes in the district and “we can’t focus on being a board.” Jane Holbrooks maintained that she would continue “considering all options.”
Polk County is one of only eleven counties in Georgia with 9 or more school board members. Surrounding counties such as Bartow, Floyd, Catoosa, Dade, Gilmer, Haralson, and Pickens get by with only five members.
Larger counties such as Cobb, Fulton, Paulding, Hall, and Gwinnett are represented by fewer than 9 members.
The School Board will hold another community input meeting on November 8 from 5:30 until the regularly scheduled meeting time, in the Polk County Board of Education meeting room on S. College Street in Cedartown.