Fayette County Schools’ facilities plan has been sent to state education officials, but the county superintendent emphasized nothing in it — including proposed consolidations — is definite.

Fayette County Schools Superintendent Dwight Dials said the 10-year Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP) has been submitted to Dr. Steven Paine, state school superintendent, and the state School Building Authority (SBA). The plan will be reviewed, and state officials will either approve or reject it.

State officials will have the final say because the state took over Fayette County Schools earlier this year.

“It’s like playing tennis. The ball’s in their court,” Dials said.

The CEFP’s purpose, school officials say, is establishing a framework for how to provide educational facilities that will allow students to receive the best possible 21st Century education.

Dials noted CEFPs are required documents county school officials have to send to the state every 10 years. This allows counties to receive state funds for school improvements and construction.

He emphasized that the CEFP is only a plan and nothing in it is set in stone. Nonetheless, parts of it have some citizens deeply concerned.

At a July 12 meeting, citizens spoke out during a special board meeting. Proposed school consolidations, particularly those that could cut the number of county high schools in half, drew the most ire from those opposing it.

Proposed items call for the possible combination of student bodies from Fayette County’s six high schools into three buildings. According to plan documents, these include constructing a new, “state of the art,” high school to serve ninth through 12th grade enrollments of the current Fayetteville, Meadow Bridge and Midland Trail high schools and combining Mount Hope 9-12 students within the existing Oak Hill High School. The facility would be “significantly upgraded.”

Valley High School’s 6-8 and 9-12 grade students would be separated as much as possible, and a multipurpose/gym facility would be constructed for the 6-8 graders.

Those opposed, the majority speaking that night, cited reasons such as longer bus rides, students having less individual attention and possible decreased enrollment. The ones in favor said more students could take advanced classes from the relatively few instructors qualified to teach them.

Dials emphasized the special meeting was not a closure hearing. He noted the last Fayette CEFP suggested moving Mount Hope High School students to Oak Hill and building a new Valley High School. Neither happened.

The citizen comments from July 12 were also sent to the state.

“The questions and concerns — good, bad or whatever it was... We submitted all of that. It has been forwarded to the state,” Dials said.

State officials were asked to place the Fayette CEFP on the August state board agenda, Dials said.

— E-mail: apridemore

@register-herald.com