The Newton County School Board has approved Newton County School Superintendent Dr. Steve Whatley’s recommendation to designate the parent involvement theme school located at Fairview Elementary as a primary school for kindergarten through grade three. The parent involvement theme school at Clements Middle will be designated an intermediate school for grades four through eight. The Fairview and Clements theme schools had originally been slated for kindergarten through fifth grade and sixth grade through eighth grade, respectively.

As of Monday, March 16, applications for 618 elementary students and 277 middle grade students had been received. According to Whatley, the new designations allow for “better utilization of the two sites.”

“This design will allow for the development of a quality program and provides room for future growth in enrollment,” said Whatley.

A meeting has been scheduled for March 26 at Clements Middle School at 7 p.m. for parents of students who will be in grades four or five for the 2009-2010 school year to discuss the change, receive updated information and tour the building. Parents are being invited to this meeting via a letter sent through U.S. mail.

For more information on Newton County theme schools, visit the Newton County School System Web site at www.newtoncountyschools.org.