March 26, 2008

GREENSBORO, Ga. (AP) -- Greene County school officials have
scrapped a controversial plan to become the country's first school
district entirely separated by gender. But county schools may still
wind up with some single-gender classes.

The plan, approved by the school board last month, sparked
heated public forums. Hundreds of parents blasted Superintendent
Shawn McCollough for pushing the measure through without first
consulting them. The move would have divided every school by
gender, which one expert has called illegal.

Now that plan has been abandoned. School board member Velicia
Cobb says the district administration is polling the preferences of
parents, teachers and staff members at the county's five public
schools. She says once those results are in, the administration
will draft a new plan for the east Georgia district's 2,000
students that mirrors the majority opinion.

Cobb says that could mean some of the schools will be single
gender or have single gender classes and some will not.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press)