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Gold9472
09-23-2005, 06:59 PM
Governor asks schools to close to save fuel
Perdue says Monday, Tuesday would be early 'snow days'

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/0905/24perdue.html

By AILEEN DODD
Published on: 09/23/05

Most, if not all, public schools in Georgia will close Monday and Tuesday following a request by the governor to conserve fuel.

The request to shut down was made late Friday to all Georgia school systems that could be affected by a possible fuel shortage should Hurricane Rita hinder production in Texas.

In a conference call, Gov. Sonny Perdue told Georgia school officials the closing of schools was a necessary precaution. Schools that comply will count Monday and Tuesday as snow days and make them up later in the year.

If all of Georgia's schools close, the governor estimated about 250,000 gallons of diesel fuel would be saved each day by keeping buses off the road.

The governor also said an undetermined amount of regular gasoline also would be saved by allowing teachers, other school staff members and some parents to stay home those days. Electricity also would be conserved by keeping the schools closed.

It's up to each school superintendent to decide whether to call off classes.

"If Georgians stick together, work together and conserve together we can weather whatever problems Rita brings our way with the least possible inconvenience," Perdue said.

As he did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Perdue asked the state's residents to limit nonessential travel and look for commute alternatives including telecommuting, car pooling and four-day work weeks.

He said if people reduce demand, "we will have enough market power to hold prices down. All together, we can influence demand within our state."

Tim Callahan, spokesman for the 61,000-member Professional Association of Georgia Educators, said he worried Perdue's announcement would only prompt panic-buying at the pumps in the days ahead.

"I wonder if it's going to create the type of panic that we saw a few weeks back that drove prices over $3," said Callahan, referring to the long gas lines and record-high prices that came in the days following Hurricane Katrina.

Most other school systems in the metro area have already announced schools will not be open Monday and Tuesday.

Public school officials in Atlanta, Clayton, Henry, Gwinnett, Cobb, Marietta, Fulton, DeKalb, Decatur, Forsyth, Fayette and Coweta have confirmed schools there will be closed.

Parents are advised to visit the Web site of their local school system for more information.

Gwinnett school officials said they have plenty of fuel for their buses. They purchase it through a joint agreement with the county.

"There is still gas for us to use next week," said Sloan Roach, spokesman for Gwinnett Schools. "We could hold school Monday and Tuesday, but we are complying with the request ... to help with energy consumption issues that could result from the latest hurricane threat."

Twelve-month contract employees such as principals and administrative support staff in Gwinnett will report to work on Monday and Tuesday, Roach said.