This spring, multiple seats on Bryan County School Board, including the chair, will be on the ballot. Early voting kicks off April 27 and the General Primary is May 19.

In this first Q+A installment, the Bryan County News spoke to those running for School Board Chair, including local businessman J. Scott Novinski. Those also running are incumbent Amy Murphy and Tiffany Gregg.

Follow the Bryan County News for more election coverage.

Who: J. Scott Novinski, businessman

Describe your background for readers.

I have proudly called Richmond Hill home for the past 15 years. My wife and I have been married for 32 years. We met on Long Island, lived there through 9/11 and then moved to Jill's hometown in Michigan after. After the economy turned in 2010, I took a job transfer to the area. Together we raised five children here. Each of them grew up in this community and came through the Richmond Hill school system, giving our family a deep, personal connection to our local schools and the future of our community.

Three of my sons are entrepreneurs, each owning their own business. My other son is employed in the construction industry, and my daughter has been working for a construction company, handling their billing, ever since she completed high school..

Why are you running for school board chair, and what qualities would you bring to the role?

As a business owner and an Operations Manager for another company, I work with people every day who are just starting out in the world. My career has given me a strong understanding of leadership, responsibility, and the importance of making sound decisions that affect others. When you are trusted to manage resources and lead people, you quickly learn the value of fiscal responsibility, accountability, and being a good steward of other people’s money.

Those same principles apply to our community and our schools. I believe decisions should always be made with transparency, careful consideration, and a clear focus on long-term results.

Open communication between leaders, parents, and the community is essential if we want to build trust and ensure a strong future for our children.

Bryan County is more than just where I live—it’s where my family grew, where my children were educated, and where I have invested my time and effort into serving others.

What do you see as the biggest challenges currently facing our school district, and how would you address them?

We have great teachers but they need the help of parents and the community and strong policies from the school administration. David Schwartz of District 5 stated in 2022 our biggest issue is mental health, and he was right then and I still agree with him today.

We need to review policies that have been put into place. Policies about:

Attendance - students have excused absences for Covid even after CDC guidelines changed back during the Biden administration, but a student who has surgery and missed is not considered excused even with a doctor's note.

Physical altercations ‐ if a student is attacked and then defends themselves, they are also disciplined, so we are telling students they are required to be victims.

Grading - a 50% is the minimum grade that is given. A student can make zero effort and receive that grade, how does this prepare one for the real world. It inflates grades making the school system look better, and reduces the achievement of those who work hard for their own development.

School budgets - voters have rejected ESPLOT last year, but here we are again asking voters to vote on the same bill with almost no change. The school board informs us it will take the money from either ESPLOT or our property taxes. The school board failed to make a case trying to listen to constitutes with making changes to improve a lower dollar request for projects.

The school board also refused to acknowledge vote wishes on HB 541 where 66% of the county asked for the homestead exemption even after the schools got a significant increase in monies after the recent property assessment increase for 2024 and they said "NO" to us. It took local state representatives and Governor Kemp to sign a bill for them to move in favor of it

I believe that by working together, communicating openly, and being responsible with our resources, we can continue to strengthen our schools and community for generations to come. The Board of Education closed avenues of communication with their constituents. Some have become career politicians. It has become more of a top down implementation process with the Board of Education closing the communication door and telling the public if they have a problem to go through the Superintendent, even when it is about the Superintendent or policies. We need to put the public back into public education. We need to have "Smart Growth, Balanced Budgets, Better Schools"

Where do you see the district in 5 years?

We are projected to have over 56,000 residents by the end of 2026, and over 60,000 by 2030. I believe it may be higher. My primary concern revolves around the swift expansion of our county. While change is an unavoidable aspect of progress, managing it effectively is paramount. Should I be elected, I intend to collaborate closely with both the community and the county commissioners. Sustainable growth and improvement necessitate strategic investments and an understanding of their potential repercussions. It is inevitable that errors will occur regardless of who holds office. However, I believe my balanced and fresh perspective, coupled with extensive experience in daily face-to-face interactions, open communication, and a commitment to considering all viewpoints, will be crucial in making difficult but correct decisions—a quality I aspire to be recognized for. My motivation is not career advancement, but rather to serve the best interests of Bryan County. I envision a unified "One Bryan County," rather than a divisive distinction between its north and south regions.

I have some additional concerns regarding the school board's potential over-reliance on ESPLOST funds. For instance, I question how Bryan County genuinely benefits from the "tourism" dollars they reportedly gain through ESPLOST. When families travel through Georgia, it seems unlikely they would make a significant stop in Bryan County unless they are staying overnight. Otherwise, Buc-ee's often serves as the primary or most recent stop. This situation is likely to be further impacted once Buc-ee's opens in Hardeeville, potentially affecting local businesses such as other gas stations and restaurants in the area. Therefore, it is crucial to exercise thorough oversight with contract negotiations, budgeting, managing obligations, addressing lawsuits, making investments, and handling tax revenues. The community is generally willing to contribute when they see positive outcomes. However, there is a current perception of wasteful spending on unnecessary projects and significant budget overruns, such as with the RH high school, which was initially projected not to exceed $137 million but has now surpassed $151 million. Voters were also informed that we could have had two high schools, yet the decision was made to construct the sixth-largest in the state. We will need more classrooms and schools, a better retention rate of our teachers, more hands-on pathways for students to make informed career interests and choices about. Last and not least safety and security for those students, staff and teachers.

I started running in 2022 against my opponent for some of these reasons (and more) to make sure our community's voice was heard, and to help lead those who were frustrated because we were being ignored. I've seen some changes happen because of that challenge, speaking out in public forums, and meeting with Dr. Paul Brooksher during his budget reviews every year. I think he got himself a really good contract, and the Board of Education totally failed to represent our community in that negotiation. I'm disheartened he decided to leave earlier than he agreed to, because I would have liked to collaborate with him and the school board to help Bryan County get national "Blue Ribbon" education recognition in the future. I just don't see that happening with the current board's direction.

I have been dedicated to contributing positively to our community since my arrival. My commitment to serving others, a value instilled in me through 41 years in the hospitality industry, my religious upbringing, and life lessons, has led me to successfully invest in community involvement, charitable giving, and sponsorships for our school programs.

For these reasons I hope to be trusted by the voters with the responsibility and voice to deliver on these expectations for Bryan County.