The revamping of the Richmond County school system through "rightsizing" could begin as early as August.

That's when Superintendent Dana Bedden would like to have the administrations of Hornsby Elementary and East Augusta Middle schools consolidated into one and when he would like to convert Tubman Middle School into a center for alternative learning.

Specific recommendations likely won't be brought to the school board until next month, Dr. Bedden said Monday afternoon during a news conference, but those two changes are priorities in his mind.

His top priority will be rezoning schools to fill Pine Hills Middle School, which is under construction and scheduled to open for the 2009-10 school year.

The superintendent said he favors turning Hornsby and East Augusta into one campus run by one administration. The change would produce immediate savings by eliminating the need for a principal, a head custodian and a lunchroom manager.

"We currently have two of everything in the current structure, but literally you can throw a rock and hit both buildings," Dr. Bedden said.

At Tubman, he wants to phase out the middle school. Seventh- and eighth-graders attend the school now, but he supports leaving eighth grade there for one more year while moving the alternative school and adult education programs there.

"We want to get to an alternative education program that is not just about students who get into trouble," Dr. Bedden said. "It's about an opportunity for students to acquire an education who just learn differently."

The changes would allow Forest Hills to be closed. The school is used only to house the system's strings program. Bungalow Road Alternative School could then be used as a temporary location for schools undergoing renovation.

The savings from rightsizing will be reinvested in the school system, potentially developing new academic programs, Dr. Bedden said. That includes the possible addition of a public safety program at Hephzibah High School and performing arts programs at Pine Hills Middle and Cross Creek High School. The International Baccalaureate program could be added to Tutt Middle School.

The new programs likely will be available to students zoned for these schools and to students from elsewhere in the county who can apply.

"We have a saturated market on one side of the county with all of our magnet schools," Dr. Bedden said. "Effectively, we're spending a lot of money to transport our students from the Hephzibah-McBean area all the way over to C.T. Walker, Davidson, A.R. Johnson and (Academy of Richmond County) for our magnet programs."

Dr. Bedden is also looking at asking the school board to rezone all of Richmond County to save money and improve academics.

"It's interesting that one of the concerns we keep hearing is people are now up in arms about the rezoning process," he said. "Well, they are also up in arms every time we say we need more money.

"We can't get people saying that we want you to be more efficient and effective, and by the way do it to everybody else, not me."

Before any final action, public hearings will be held, Dr. Bedden said.

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.