An afternoon thunderstorm gave way to sunny skies Monday evening in Pembroke as officials broke ground on a new field house for Bryan County High School and Bryan County Middle School.
Construction on the approximately $750,000, 7,500-square-foot project could begin Friday morning, according to officials on hand for the groundbreaking. Bids will be opened at 2 p.m. Thursday in Black Creek and the Board of Education is scheduled to vote at its Thursday night meeting.
“We’ll start work as soon as the board is ready,” said project manager William Vickers of Pope Construction, noting work could begin after the BoE approves a bid.
Bryan County Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Brooksher said the new fieldhouse — which will include a weight room, dressing rooms for male and female students and coaches offices — embodies the system’s commitment to “excellence and success in all we do.”
BoE Chairman Eddie Warren said the project, which is being funded by ESPLOST, is expected to be finished by late September. He said the project will benefit all students, not just athletes.
“It’s something the kids at Bryan County Middle and Bryan County High School are in dire need of,” he said. “This allows them to put weight training classes in the PE curriculum, something they can’t do now because they don’t have the room.”
School board members Paine Bacon and Dennis Seger, who represent North Bryan districts 1 and 2, were elated the project is finally getting started.

Read more in the July 24 edition of the News.