Bryan County Schools Superintendent Paul Brooksher has announced students will not return to class until Monday.

“In order to allow students, faculty and staff adequate time to begin recovering from Hurricane Matthew and to take necessary steps to ensure the safety at each of our schools, Bryan County Schools will have a tiered return schedule with students returning on Monday, as Friday was already a student holiday,” he said. “System staff will begin returning on Wednesday based on need. Administrators will notify staff of the return schedule.”

Brooksher said the district has been assessing damage and making sure all facilities are safe for staff and students to return.

“Presently, we still have locations without electricity,” he said. “Once power is restored, buildings will undergo HVAC checks, as well as site safety inspections prior to re-opening. Also, after the power is restored, system nutritional staff will inventory any food losses as a result of power outages. This will allow ample time for food deliveries should they be necessary.” 

Brooksher said based on the initial inspection there is no structural damage to any buildings but there was minimal water damage where cleanup was needed. 

“Staff have and will continue to perform room-by-room inspections of every instructional space to identify any issues that must be repaired before students return,” Brooksher said. “Additionally, our transportation staff will be preparing the buses and driving bus routes later on this week to ensure their readiness.”