In Dr. Paul Brooksher’s first year as superintendent, Bryan County Schools had an enrollment of roughly 6,000 students, a budget of about $52 million and some 1,000 employees. That was in 2012.
Things have changed. A lot.
“We’ve grown by the equivalent of a couple of small school systems since then,” Brooksher said Wednesday, as the system continues to prepare for the first day of the 2023-2024 school year on Aug. 2 with a series of open houses beginning today.
Enrollment this year is expected to be around 10,600, and the school system now has an operating budget of about $113 million and some 1,600 employees.
Bryan County Schools also continues to rank at or near the top academically among its peers and is often cited by officials as one of the primary reasons for much of the residential growth of the past two decades.
There have been occasional growing pains thanks to the system’s continuing expansion – construction on the new 3,500-student, $100-plus million Richmond Hill High School, originally slated to open in 2024, won’t be finished until 2025 due to supply chain issues that have plagued projects around the area.
Brooksher, whose contract is expected to be extended an additional year to 2026 by the school board, said Bryan County Schools expects a good start when the school bells ring next week. In the meantime it’s clear a lot of work has gone into keeping parents informed.
Information ranging from supply lists to bus routes to start times and contact info is available on the school website under the 2023-2024 Back to School tab, and the system now has its own mobile app as well as email notifications to keep parents in the loop.
More information is being provided to parents by the individual schools – four of which have been built since Brooksher’s first year as superintendent.
Those would be Richmond Hill Middle, Bryan County Elementary, McAllister Elementary and Frances Meeks Elementary.
There’s no new school opening this year, however, but school officials ask that motorists be respectful while driving in school zones, watch out for buses and remember to plan accordingly.
And, remember that the first week of school can be an adventure for parents as well as kids.
“We do ask that people just be patient with us while everything gets settled that first week,” he said. “We’ll smooth any first week problems out, just give us some time and we’ll get it done. We’ve got great parents, great community partners, and we’re all in it as a team.”
Open House schedule
Open Houses for the 2023-2024 school year begin today and continue through Tuesday.
Here’s the schedule:
Today
Bryan County Elementary, 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Bryan County Middle High, Sixth grade 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Seventh through 12th grade, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Richmond Hill Middle, 4 to 7 p.m.
Richmond Hill High School, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday
Bryan County Elementary Pre-K and Kindergarten camp, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Monday
Richmond Hill Primary, 4 to 7 p.m.
Richmond Hill Elementary, 4 to 7 p.m.
Carver Elementary, 4 to 7 p.m.
McAllister Elementary, 4 to 6 pm.
Frances Meeks Elementary, 4 to 6 p.m.
Richmond Hill Middle, 6th grade boot camp, 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday McAllister Elementary Kindergarten camp, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Frances Meeks Kindergarten camp, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Pre-planning for teachers began Tuesday, July 25 and continues through Tuesday, Aug. 1. School starts Wednesday, Aug. 2.
— Bryan County Schools