Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME CII — NUIE& #II
Chattooga County leads the state in
at least one category but nobody is
bragging about it.
The county schools have the highest
dropout rate of any system in Georgia.
Educators aren't quite sure why that'’s
the case and no one has a solution
guaranteed to erase that dubious honor.
While Chattooga's schools have
recorded the highest dropout rate in the
state during the last two school years,
the City of Trion school system's
dropout rate is one of the lowest in
Georgia.
A statistical analysis of the causes
of dropouts in the state seems to in
dicate that Trion's dropout rate should
be higher than Chattooga’'s. Yet, just
the opposite is true.
Special Report
By The News
What Can Be Done
About Chattooga
County’s Dropout Rate?
I Y ( ! &t t ®
“I heard about this training program at the mill,” said Sue,
who dropped out of the 11th grade at age 18. ‘lt was six weeks
for nothing and then they put you to work. I had all these
dreams about getting rich in the mill but when I got in there
it r]vasln't that great. I would have been a lot better off to finish
school.”
Sue, who is now 38 and married with children of her own,
is one of several Chattooga County dropouts interviewed by
The News. Their stories are almost as varied as the individuals,
but some common threads seem to confirm the views by many
educators that the emphasis placed on education in the home
goes a long waK toward determining whether a student will
graduate from high school.
All the names have been changed but their stories are just
as they told them.
NO EFFORTS
Sue said no one tried to talk her out of quitting school.
Neither her parents nor any teachers made any effort to keep
her in school. Her parents had a meager elementary school
education and didn’t realize the im?ortance of a high school
diploma. Would it have made any difference if anyone had tried
to talk her out of quitting? “‘I believe so,” she said.
A A A IIS NI PISNI NN PPN NI NS NI NI NI
“I had all these dreams about getting rich
in the mill but when I got there, it wasn’t that
great. I would have been a lot better off to
finish school.” — Sue, 38
WWWWWW
She had tried to obtain a job at several places but all said
workers had to be 18 and out of school. Then she heard about
the training program.
It was not until she was 20 and married that she realized
she had made a serious mistake, Sue said. ‘I looked around and
saw the mill wasn’t so great. I realized I wasn't going to get
rich. If I had taken an office course or something like that, I'd
have been a whole lot better off.”
Her 17-year-old son brought an adult education pro(?ram to
her attention and she decided to go back to school and obtain
her GED certificate. She has worked at the same mill on and
off for the last 20 years. *‘l couldn't get anything else.”
AAAP AP I P INIIIPIIIPI II I 111 I I SIS NI NINININININININSN
“...I wasn’t doing too good and I knew
I'd be there longer than I wanted to be. I
wanted a job and all the jobs were on the first
shift.” — Burt, 18
WMWWMMW
As for her own children, they'll quit high school ‘‘over my
dead body,” Sue added. She continues to ‘‘beat it in their heads”
that they have got to obtain a good education to get ahead in
the world.
MARIE
Marie, who is now 19, dropped out of school when she was
16 and pregnant. ** . . . T went on to school for about two months
before m ggby was born. (After the bab}\; was born) I went back
to schoof,for about three months but then I didn’t go back. I
didn’t have to quit because I had my mother and sisters to help
me take care of my bably;. I just thought it was my responsibility
to take care of my baby.’ ' :
Marie’s mother, however, had different ideas. My mother
told me to go back to school.” Her mother learned of a local
adult education program and insisted her daughter sign up. I
see PREGNANCY, JOBS, page 8-A
Bulldogs Win First
--See Page 10-A
Che Summeruville News
Chattooga’s Dropout Rate Highest In State
FAMILY ATTITUDES
If there is any concensus amon
educators about a f‘),asic cause for a hig,fi
dropout rate, it boils down to the em
phasis families place on the value of an
education. Yet, another complex series
of factors also seems to be involved in
the problem, ranging from higher school
standards to outside jobs held by
students.
During the 1985-86 school year —
the latest period for which statistics are
available — 11.9 percent of the students
in grades eight tfirough 12 dropped out
of school in the Chattooga School
system. That percentage reé)resents 141
young people, 89 boys and 52 girls.
The figures for the 1984-85 school
year are even more depressing to
educators and parents. Chattooga's
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA — THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1987
House Approves Funds
For Chattooga Prison
A supplemental appropria
tions bifl) for fiscal year 1987
approved last week by the
Georgia House of Represen
tatives contained the first pay
ment on bonds sold to builcf the
new state prison in Chattooga
County.
Rep. Johnny Crawford said
the budget contained
$2.3-million to begin an amor
tization program fiolr the facili
ty. TotaF cost of the structure
is estimated at $23-million.
“That's it,"”” Crawford said,
indicating that the prison has
been funged with no likelihood
that the money will be diverted
to other projects as it was two
years ago.
“They (Department of Cor
rections) weren't ready two
years ago and they are this
time,”” he said. The Georgia
Senate likely will take up the
supplemental appropriations
bilfcontaining the prison funds
sometime next week when the
General Assembly reconvenes,
Crawford said.
IN RECESS
The General Assembly is in
recess this week for budget
hearings.
Gov. Joe Frank Harris had
proposed funds for the prison,
which is expected to be a
750-bed facility. It is expected
to have 500 cells with 250 hous
ing one prisoner each and 250
housing two inmates.
Grading was delayed early
this week due to around four in
ches of rain over the weekend.
However, work had already
begun on erectinfi an earthen
mound between the prison site
and the residential community
of Pennville, located between
Summerville and Trion.
Grading on the 30-acre site
ARCHITECT HIRED
Board To Seek Bids
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
At the second of two heavi
ly attended meetings this
month, the Chattooga County
Board of Education voted
Monday to rebid its office con
struction project.
At the Jan. 12 meeting, the
board had awarded the project
to Summerville contractor Bill
Ramsey, after an apparent low
bid of $93,000.
After complaints from a
visitor Monday, the board for
mally asked Ramsey if he
would release it from the bid
contract. Ramsey agreed.
ARCHITECT
Board Chairman Joel Cook
announced that school ar
chitect Lowell Kirkman had
agreed to draw plans for the
new office at a reduced fee of
$3,500 instead of the usual six
percent of construction cost.
““Since the last board
dropout rate that year was 12.8 percent
in grades eight through 12. It was,
again, the highes rate in Georgia. A
total of 155 youngsters quit going to
school.
FOURTH HIGHEST
The state average during the
1985-86 school year was 5.3 percent. It
was 5.5 percent during the 1984-85
school year. Chattooga’s dropout rate
becomes even more aFarming when one
realizes that Georgia in 1984 had the
fourth worst dropout rate in the nation.
In 1982-83, Cherokee County nudg
where the prison buildings will
be located has already started
as well. In all, the prison tract
includes either 186 or 196
acres.
Entry to the property is on
a .7-mile road ofIf) Highway 27
just north of Pennville Elemen
tar{ School. The roadway
snakes its way east and then
back scuth to just east of the
Pennville residential area.
Weather earlier this week
also delayed installation of
utilities to the prison site. A
trench had been du% from the
railroad tracks almost to
RIPPLE EFFECT
Lyerly Buys Fire Truck
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
The effect of Chattooga
County cutting off funds to
Summerville for county-wide
fire protection services and the
city’s decision to institute a
subscription service continued
to ripple through the area last
week.
Lyeréy's Mayor and Coun
cil voted unanimously at its
January meeting to purchase a
$25,000 tanker truck with
which to battle fires in the rural
areas surrounding the town.
RURAL AREAS
“This tanker is to be used
to protect the rural area sur-
meeting, we found out the
plans were not up to par,”
Cook said. ‘‘Mr. Hayes
(Superintendent Don Hayes)
has checked with the architect
and he will draw the Klans for
$3,500 — exactly right, ready
for bids.”
“VERY UPSET"”
Sherry Bishop of Harold
Bishop Inc. said that she was
“very upset'' over the way the
bid opening was handled Jan.
12.11 n @ firepared statement,
Mrs. Bishop said the plans
were deficient in many areas
which were detailed in the writ
ten bid opened at the meeting.
“If you had read the first
five items at the top of the bid,
the board would have been
aware of the problems with the
plans,” Mrs. Bishop said. “‘We
wanted to let the board know
there was a deficiency in the
plans and our bid was only a
guesstimate.” But you only
read the bottom line of the bid
when Kou opened it.
“This is a small town, and
we all use mostly the same sub
Snow Forecast
--See Page 7-A
By TOMMY TOLES
Editor
Highway 27 by the end of last
week. Utilities will be provided
by the City of Summerville
across property owned by
Ernest Klatt.
The prison has been a con
troversial topic in Pennville for
several years with residents
saying it should have been
lorated in a less populated area
of the county.
OTHER LEGISLATION
In other legislation action
last week, Rep. Crawford said
he supported a tort reform bill
that passed the House, 160-12.
rounding Lyerly,” said Mayor
Danny Wyatt at last Thurs
day’s meeting. ‘‘The regular
fire truck will%)e used in the ci
ty limits.” The mayor, who
recommended that the Council
make the purchase, was not
without questions about the
fire protection issue, however.
“We have some speculation as
to why we are responsible for
the rural area around Lyerly
when we don't receive any
county tax money for this pur
pose.”
Cost of the new truck will
be around $16,000, plus the
cost of the tank unit.
In related action, the Coun
cil also voted to buy three new
fire call “‘beepers” for volunteer
firemen at a cost of $250 each.
Lyerly's Volunteer Fire
contractors. Their reaction was
laughter when they saw the
plans we were asked to bid.
There is only one explanation
for the great difference in the
bids — Mr. Ramsey wanted a
lot less (materials) in that
building than we did. This is a
building that will be used for
many years. I would like to
stress the value of hiring an ar
chitect. Sometimes you have to
spend a little to save a little.”
“MISTAKE”
“I'll be the first to admit we
made a mistake,”” Cook said.
James W. Busbin, a Lyerly
contractor, and Wayne Thomp
son, former school superinten
dent of Union County Schools,
each stressed the importance of
hiring an architect for any
public building.
“‘My experience is that it
will save you money every
time,”” Thompson said.
“‘An architect’s job is to
design the building so it can be
a competitive %id item,"’
Busbin said. ““That way, it can
save the county money.”
ed Chattooga off the top spot.
Cherokee's schools that year recorded
a dropout rate of 13.29 percent. Chat-
Lm%a s was 11.59 percent.
n the surrounding area of Nor
thwest Georgia, Walker County also
had a high dropout rate in 1985-86 —
11.1 percent. Ot?xer area systems record
ed lower rates that year than Chattooga,
including Dade County, 6.9 percent;
Floyd County, 5.6 percent; Rome City,
7.2 percent; and (gletoosa County, 6.5
percent.
Other systems in Georgia with dou
ble dropout figures last scfi:ool year in-
ciuded Oglethorpe County, 11.6 percent;
Putnam County, 11.1 percent; Butts
County, 10.6 percent; Spalding County,
10.4 percent; and Tatnall County, 10
percent.
Meanwhile, Trion's dropout rate for
grades eight through 12 in 1985-86 was
only 3.1 percent, meaning 13 dropped
out of a total enrollment of 423. 'file
school year before, Trion had a dropout
rate of 3.7 fiercent, or 15 youngsters out
of an enrollment of 402.
Throughout the state last year,
21,778 students in grades eight through
12 dropped out of school. The year
before, 22,568 quit attending classes.
NO BRIGHTER
The picture isn't much brighter
when kindergarten through the 12th
The Senate also passed its ver
sion of the proposal and the
measures are expected to go to
a conference committee next
week to resolve differences in
the bills.
“I don’t think the House or
Senate bills will lower in
surance premiums,’’ said
Crawford. ‘I think even the
sgonsors of the bilis now say
they won't. But I feel that it’s
reasonable for juries to know
the types of benefits people
alreac{y are getting and I think
it's reasonable that a judge
see HOUSE, page 4-B
Department will have 10 of the
devices after the purchase.
LADDER
Mayor Wyatt also noted at
last week's meeting that the
fire department has bought a
new 32-foot ladder for use with
its existing tanker truck at a
cost of $245. Wyatt said the
ladder will be transferred to the
new truck when it is purchased.
Councilman Steve White
also reported that the existing
tank truck needs repairs. ‘‘The
king pins and bushings are
worn out on the tanker. It
would cost about $l5O to
rgfilace them.” No action was
taken by the Council.
The city also continued ef
forts to upgrade its water
system to reduce dependency
see LYERLY BUYS, page 14-A
Cook called for a motion to
hire the architect and rebid the
g)roject, but got no response
rom the board.
“All right, I'll make a mo
tion we hire an architect for
$3,500 and get this straighten
ed out,” he said.
SECOND
In seconding the motion,
board member f oyce Johnson
said, ‘‘We drew up our own
plans because we were trying
to save time and money. We
thought we would go ahead
and try to get out because the
Hurleys are letting us stay in
this building out of the
goodness of their hearts.”
Fay and Sue Hurley of
Summerville purchased the
superintendent’s office along
with two lots fronting
Highway 27 when the Sum
merville Junior High School
Froperty was sold at auction
ast July. Although the board
was given 90 days to vacate
the building or pay rent in the
original agreement, the
see BOARD, page 3-A
$73,000 Seized
--See Page 5-A
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HARRY COWAN GUEST SPEAKER
Laced Address With Humor
Key Is Asking
Same (Question
“What needs to happen in
our county to continue to make
it the place I live and earn a liv
ing and raise my children?”
That's the question every
effective Chamber of Com
merce should ask continually if
it is to be effective, according
to Harry Cowan, manager of
the Southeast Region, U.S.
Chamber of Commerce. Cowan
was the main speaker at last
Thursday night's annual Chat
tooga County Chamber of
Commerce banquet at Chat
tooga High School.
HUMOR
Using humor to get his
points across, Cowan told the
audience before his talk that he
would discuss ‘‘what "a
Chamber of Commerce really is
Trion Man Charged
In Slaying Of Teen
A 33-year-old Trion resident
has been charged with murder
in the early Sunday morning
shooting death of a teen-ager.
Bobgy Burrage, 5 First%t.,
Trion, remained in the Chat
tooega County Jail near noon
Wednesday after being charg
ed in the shooting at his
residence.
DeWayne Lee Payne, 17,
Summerville Rte. 2, was af)ro
nounced dead on arrival at
Chattooga County Hosgital,
accordin% to Sheriff Gary
McConnell. A later autopsy
revealed that Payne had been
shot in the neck with a .22
caliber revolver. He was carried
grade is considered. Chattooga’s
dropout rate for all grades last scfiool
year was 4.3 percent, again the highest
in Geor%i,a. Trion's rate was 1.1 pereent,
one of the lowest in the state.
To educators and parents alike,
dropout figures and statistics often
become a confusing, meaningless jum
ble. Some county educators also ques
tion the accuracy of the state-compiled
figures but agree that the system has
a serious droßout problem, nevertheless.
Trion school officials are sruzzled
about why the county system'’s dropout
rate is so much higher than Trion’s.
County educators tend to believe that
the city system is more selective and
students who can’t make it at Trion end
up in the county system. Those same
see CHATTOOGA’S DROPOUT, page 8 -A
in a community.” That way, he
said, those present could tell
their friends and neighbors the
next day what he tafised about
without listening to his s h.
In a serious vein, éowan
said, *“The Chamber of Com
merce is the only organization
in your town...whose
business is the business of
business.”” He explained that
each community has single
issue groups that attempt to
have an impact on issues that
affect them. But when an issue
comes along that doesn’t
directly affect any one of those
groups in particular but will
have an impact on the overall
community, ‘‘that is the
business of business that only
a Chamber of Commerce can
see KEY, page 6-A
to the hospital by Chattooga
Emergency Medical Services.
SHOTS FIRED
The sheriff's office was
dispatched to the Trion loca
tion around 6:30 a.m. Sunday,
said McConnell, to assist tg’e
Trion Police Department. A
report had been received about
shots being fired at the First
Street location.
Payne was visiting the Bur
rage residence and had arrived
late Saturday night, the
sheriff’'s office indicated. An
agparent domestic dispute end
ed with the shooting in the liv
see TRION MAN, page 11-A
PRICE 20c