In an unusually short meeting, the Bryan County Board of Education met Feb. 26 at Lanier Primary School and accepted almost $40,000 in local donations, including a $35,139.47 donation from the McAllister PTSO to the elementary school for the fine arts and technology departments.

Other donations at vice-chairman Karen Krupp’s first regularly scheduled board meeting included:

• $1,728.72 from Donor’s Choose to Grace McDonald and McAllister Elementary School for reading packs and classroom supplies.

• $288.64 from Donor’s Choose to Nivea Lee and Carver Elementary School for "I Want To Read Please."

• $455.06 to Mary Boland and Carver Elementary School from Donor’s Choose for "Hands-On Learning."

• $305.59 to Allison Patton and Carver Elementary School from Donor’s Choose for "Sensory Garden."

• $180.75 from Kroger Rewards to Carver Elementary School.

• $1,015 to Erin Warren and Richmond Hill Elementary School from Donor’s Choose for a bookstand and two chrome books.

• $749.33 to Paige Nobles and McAllister Elementary School from Donor’s Choose for two Lego education core books.

The school board also authorized board member Amy Murphy to investigate the parameters of a leadership assessment of the school board that could ultimately lead to a "Board of Excellence" designation.

"It’s likely that we are already doing many of the things necessary to be recognized," board chairman Eddie Warren said, while acknowledging that the final requirements for such a recognition would likely require a significant commitment of time and effort by board members.

Murphy will research the requirements and report back to the board at a future meeting.

The board also authorized the following field trips:

• Richmond Hill High School Boys Lacrosse Club Team, Feb. 18 and March 14 to Beaufort, S.C.; March 11 to Camden, S.C. and Rock Hill, S.C.

• Bryan County High School baseball team, March 2-5 to Hiawassee.

• Richmond Hill Middle School 7th grade, May 6 to Jacksonville Zoo, as part of the PBIS incentive program

• Richmond Hill High School AP biology class, April 28-30 to Magnolia Springs, Millen.

The school board also heard of a new and innovative program at Lanier designed to raise reading levels among the students.

Lanier Principal Dr. Lynnie Clemens told board members that she had noted significant progress in students’ reading levels in the few months the program had been in place.