Have you ever heard the saying, "Is this the hill you want to die on?" It is obvious that the school start time hill is looking mighty attractive to Paula Gault and the rest of the Forsyth County School System (FCSS) Board as a place to effectively end their respective careers. Who does this group of individuals think they work for anyway? I think a little reminder is in order. Families showed their strength in the last election where we exercised our rights by approving the $170 million Bond Issue with conviction. Is there any question about the passion and conviction regarding dissatisfaction with the current school start time issue? If there is and you have not made your opinion known, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!

As the fastest (or at least in the top five) growing county in the U.S., we have our chance to really shine with fine educational offerings. Notwithstanding the dismal test score levels and backwards education practices that continue to plague Georgia (making it difficult for our graduating seniors to be taken seriously among America's leading colleges and universities), I have often defended the education my children have been receiving via the FCSS as top notch. Let's not fall back into the pit of mediocrity, by clinging to a decision that is not well thought out or supported by due diligence.

In light of our growth, and the fact that most of this growth can be attributed to an upper middle class, educated demographic, would it not be prudent to employ a PROFESSIONAL logistics expert to help us solve our transportation issues? Although I applaude the efforts of Garry Puetz, current Director of Transportation for Forsyth County, (Puetz has spent ten years in student transportation; his undergraduate education focused on secondary education; he graduated from UGA with a Masters in Public Administration), he is not a logistics professional. I think he was presented with the task of devising a new transportation system where certain solutions to this complicated issue were removed from consideration prior to its inception.

As I mentioned earlier, whom does this group think they work for anyway? They work for the residents of Forsyth County, in particular, our most precious commodity, our children. Our children are more than the sum-total of what they do in school; our children live in a world where they are expected to become WORLD CLASS citizens. This means that they must participate in extracurricular activities, not to mention have time to do homework, and take care of the business of just being kids.

Many of you may not know that to be considered for National Honor Society in high school you must not only satisfy GPA requirements, but you must be involved in extracurricular activities as well. Upon review of the comments from the FCSS Board and the Power Point on the FCSS website I only saw one or two references to the benefit this new policy would provide for our children. None has to do with supporting children in becoming well-rounded persons. Most of the information in the presentation was directed at how to save money. As we all know, there is another saying: Penny wise, Pound-foolish. As a matter of fact, the Board goes as far as to say, “They (school start times) are not designed to accommodate extra curricular activities nor meet the need of every family/individual in Forsyth County.” Oh My!

I implore the FCSS to take a step back, reevaluate the options and move forward with a prudent plan that includes professional assistance and considers the education, welfare and development of our children who are more worthy than a $500,000 price tag for improved transportation. Taking this step would not only benefit our children, it would benefit our community and prove that Forsyth County has moved beyond the small town that it once was to a competitive giant on the Georgia educational landscape.

I implore parents, teachers and community members to be heard! Don't wait for someone else to fight your battle! ACT NOW! Email everyone you know and invite them to contact each member of the FCSS Board with their concerns. You are not alone, but you must ACT NOW!

Sincerely,

Lynne Montalbo