All of this is to say that Chatham County at the dawn of the next century can no longer consider itself as the place it's always been. The challenge facing the public, politicians and lawmakers is to try and strike the right balance between growth and preserving the character of the county. Furthermore, as the population of the county grows and becomes more diverse demands on various public services will not only grow but change to reflect new demographic, economic and social realities. The challenges facing the education system are particularly daunting. Of all the services that we buy with our tax dollars, perhaps none is more visible and more important than public education.
Every parent knows that a good education is essential in today's world.
Education is the single best investment that we can make in our children and therefore in their future and that of the county. So the questions become how best can that education be organized and managed and what are the priorities for such a system. The US system of education rightly invests educational management and responsibility at the local and state levels. The elected Board of Education and the Education Administration run the system in conjunction with the elected council members. Citizen input into this takes place periodically through the electoral process when members of the BOE are re-elected, and at parental participation in some budget preparations.