New security entrances for each of Bryan County’s nine schools won’t be installed over the Christmas holidays after all.
School board members at Thursday night’s school board meeting at Richmond Hill High School were told by Pope Construction’s Bill Vickery the new doors won’t be ready until Jan. 4 because YKK, the Dublin-based company that manufactures them, shut down its anodizing plant through the holidays.
“They reopen Jan. 2, and on the third, fourth and fifth (of January) we can start,” Vickery said. “We’ll be installing them on weekends so there will absolutely be no interference with classes.”
Vickery, who serves as a project manager for the BoE, said Lanier Primary will be first in line for the new entrances, and contractors will go from school to school until they’re done.
The project is expected to cost about $133,000.
Board members decided to get the new entrances installed at all schools during a September workshop.
They were originally told at their November meeting the work could be completed while school was out over the Christmas break, which runs from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3.

Big donation
The Bryan County Board of Education routinely approves the acceptance of donations from various groups to schools and school groups at its monthly meetings, some in the thousands of dollars.
But a $10,000 donation is hardly routine.
That’s what happened Thursday, however, when the BoE voted to accept a $10,000 donation from Frank Hollowell to Richmond Hill High School’s track and cross country teams.
The amount wowed board members.
“That’s outstanding,” said BoE Chairman Eddie Warren. “It’s very generous. And I actually thought it was a typo when I first saw it.”
Bryan County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Brooksher said after the meeting that Hollowell asked that the donation be made with no fuss.

Also at Thursday’s meeting:
- Bryan County Schools Teacher of the Year Erin Turner was recognized and along with a trophy and other gifts received a $500 gift card. Turner, a teacher at RHHS, will now compete at the state level.
- The board approved an out-of-state field trip for the RHHS senior class, which requested to participate in Universal Studios annual “Grad Bash” on May 2 in Orlando. Teacher Russ Carpenter and several senior class representatives said the trip is a way to promote school spirit and encourage students to do well in class. The field trip was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Pembroke’s Paine Bacon voting against it.
- The board approved a request by RHHS band director Dr. Dan Keine to allow the band to perform at Universal Studios in March.
- The board approved a $300 donation from Gulfstream to the RHHS academic team and a $150 donation to the RHHS Young Democrats from Atlantic Business Management.