The Georgia fire marshal may shut down after-school programs offered in the Walker County school system, Superintendent Roy Sapough said.

The Walker Board of Education is expected to decide at its Monday meeting whether to continue offering the after-school program at Cherokee Ridge, Fairyland, North LaFayette, Rock Spring and Rossville elementary schools.

Curriculum director Dane Ward, on Tuesday during the Board of Education’s monthly planning session, said the programs collectively serve 143 students.

After-school programs that use limited space in the school buildings face more stringent fire codes in those areas, Sapough said.

Schools in regular session do not face the stricter guidelines because the entire building is populated during school hours, and fires are more likely to be reported quickly and contained.

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The Walker County Board of Education is scheduled to hold a regular monthly meeting Monday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at the school system’s administrative building at 201 S. Duke St. in LaFayette. For more information about the meeting, call (706) 638-1240.

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Sapough offered three choices to board members: upgrade the facility with money from a shrinking reserve fund, ask the program administrators to pay for the upgrades or terminate the programs.

Administrative services director Tom Taylor estimates the cost to bring the buildings up to code would cost roughly $50,000 in unbudgeted funds to bring the five schools up to code.

The school system has 60 days from Sept. 12 to upgrade fire protection systems in the areas used by the after-school programs, which are operated by Wee Teach Learning Academy and the YMCA, Sapough said.

The school system would not be penalized under the terms of the contracts. The school system may withdraw from the agreements with 30 days notice under situations like this one, he said.

The schools make no money from the after-school program, Sapough said. The organizations conducting the programs are allowed to use the space in the schools and pay for all supplies and utilities used in the program.

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