CLEVELAND, Ga. –- Educators in county after county are working hard to educate Georgia voters about an issue they will be asked to decide in the November election. Amendment 1 asks voters: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance.”

“Who in their right mind would oppose that,” White County School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson asked Tuesday.

But critics warn that when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If passed, Amendment 1 would allow the state government to take control of any school that fails to score at least 60 on the College and Career Readiness Performance Index for three consecutive years and puts them in an Opportunity School District (OSD).

Wilson and others say that effectively muzzles parents and teachers and subjects schools to the control of a politically-appointed state school board and superintendent.

While no White County schools are in danger of being placed into the OSD, Wilson and White County School Board members have unanimously condemn Amendment 1.

“When has the state government ever taken over anything and made it better,” Wilson asked. “This goes completely against local control of our schools.”

Dawson and Lumpkin County School Boards have passed resolutions expressing their opposition to Amendment 1.

Wilson said the state of South Carolina experimented with something similar recently.

“A few years ago a private for-profit company came in and ran failing schools and after a couple of years they gave up,” he said.

“It seems like every day more and more power is going to the state government. We have a state board of education that is appointed and not elected. For me, not being able to elect anybody at the state level is a big concern.”

Another concern is the cost to taxpayers.

Wilson said if the state takes over a school it will have to hire teachers and provide a building. The state will provide some of the funding but not all. Local taxpayers will have to provide the rest.

Wilson said he is afraid the bill will pass overwhelmingly unless voters educate themselves on the issue.

“My fear is there isn’t anything we can do to stop it,” he said. “I believe it will pass overwhelmingly because of the innocent-sounding wording. Who in their right mind would oppose that?

He said he has tried to get the word out in White County by speaking to many community groups.