Four Jonesboro attorneys and a retired math teacher will try to persuade a state judge Tuesday that five Clayton County school board members should be removed.

Gov. Sonny Perdue asked Judge Michael Malihi of the Office of State Administrative Hearings to decide if the board members violated any state laws.

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The residents allege that board members violated state open meetings laws and the state code of ethics. Their complaint also alleges that board members failed to maintain secure and adequate student records, as required by state and federal regulations.

If they are found guilty, Perdue could remove the board members.

That needs to happen this week, said Robert Oliver, one of five Clayton residents who filed the complaint in June.

"It's up to the community to deal with this before we lose accreditation," Oliver said.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will be in Clayton on Thursday and Friday to judge the school system's progress on nine mandates. SACS will decide by the end of the month if Clayton can retain its accreditation.

The residents are asking Perdue to remove board members Michelle Strong, Sandra Scott, Rod Johnson, Lois Baines-Hunter and Yolanda Everett. Strong and Scott are on the board until 2010. Johnson, Baines-Hunter and Everett will complete their terms at the end of the year.

The complaint also names David Ashe, who resigned last month, and Norreese Haynes, who was removed in March for not living in Clayton County.

On Monday, board attorney Julie Lewis said the five board members did not commit any wrongdoing.

"We have clear evidence that the board members did not violate any of the provisions contained in the state ethics code during the applicable time-frame or during the time that they have held office," Lewis said in a statement.

On Monday, the judge denied a motion by the five board members to dismiss the residents' complaint. The hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.