Communities will rally around theirhigh schools, particularly their sports teams, says former Grovetown Mayor Dennis Trudeau. With that in mind, he's looking forward to the opening of the new Grovetown High School. "It will be a morale booster for the town and also for the children.

A year ago, the Columbia County school board was exploring the possibility of scrapping its prekindergarten program for 4-year- olds in 2008-09. Instead, the school system will start the academic year with an additional pre-k class.

By Mike Wynn Augusta finally has someone in Georgia it can stick its tongue out at when it comes to cities with population problems. Columbus had the nation's largest population percentage decrease among cities with at least 100,000 from 2006 to 2007, according to U.S.

The county school system is redrawing its high school zones to prepare for its fifth high school, Grovetown High, in 2009. Administrators presented a rezoning proposal at two public hearings, and the school board is expected to approve the final plan April 22.

By Betsy Gilliland Summer school begins today in Columbia County, and poor Criterion-Referenced Com-petency Tests scores are sending many pupils back to class.