Longtime Bryan County School Superintendent Dr. Paul Brooksher is heading into the new school year with an amended contract after the school board approved an extension at its July 27 meeting.
It’s the second 12-month extension of his 2021 contract in as many years for Brooksher, who started in Bryan County in 2012. Superintendents usually operate under three-year contracts, and the most recent amendment to Brooksher’s contract extends his employment with Bryan County Schools through June 2026.
As part of a lengthy statement issued on behalf of the Board of Education, Chairwoman Amy Murphy said board members were “excited to recognize and express our gratitude,” to Brooksher, “for his 11 years of service to Bryan County Schools.”
The extension did not give Brooksher a raise. He earned $310,202 and an additional $4,651 in travel expenses in 2022, according to open.ga.gov.
By contrast, former Gwinnett County superintendent Alvin Wilbanks earned $641,955 in 2021, and former Pickens County superintendent Richard Townsend was paid $507,659 in 2021. Both are no longer with the districts that employed them.
The BOE statement listed a number of reasons why the board extended his contract. Brooksher oversees a system with 1,600 employees and an estimated 10,600 students.
“Dr. Brooksher’s success as superintendent is apparent on many levels,” it said. “For instance, in a review by the numbers, Dr. Brooksher has opened 3 new schools. He’s been superintendent through 2 highly successful AdvancEd Accreditation reviews, 2 ESPLOST cycles and one $100 million bond referendum.”
The BOE also noted Brooksher, who said he was thankful for the support of the board, the district’s employees and the community, has never missed a school board meeting in his 11 years as superintendent, 294 in all. The system’s growth of the system in terms of budget – it climbed from $52.3 million in 2013 and is now more than $112 million, was also mentioned.
Bryan County Schools academics – the district has long been reputed to be one of the top public school systems in coastal Georgia, and has often been cited as a reason for the county’s booming residential growth in recent decades – were also mentioned in the statement.
“When Dr. Brooksher began 11 years ago, Bryan County Schools’ overall graduation was 72% and in 2022 it was 92.7%, well above the state average of 84.1%. Bryan County Schools is the top performing school district in our region and is in the top 8% of school systems in Georgia,” the BOE statement said. Brooksher’s longevity was also highlighted, with the BOE citing an average length of service for superintendents in Georgia at less than five years.
“Having worked in Bryan County for 11 years, there are only 12 other superintendents out of 180 with more years of service. Dr. Brooksher is the 13th longest serving superintendent in the state of Georgia,” the BOE said.
“Since 2020, 70 school districts have hired new superintendents.”
Brooksher, who along with the board had come under fire in recent years due to local versions of national protests over mask mandates and curriculum, can also take credit for helping the system attract and keep good teachers, the BOE said.
“While other school districts are struggling to fill teacher vacancies, some districts with vacancies in the double and triple digits, Bryan County will be ready to open its doors on Wednesday. Our ability to recruit top educational leaders, teachers, and staff is in part due to Dr. Brooksher’s leadership,” the statement continued. “For instance, he was instrumental in bringing employee childcare to our district and Bryan County schools is currently the only local school district to offer this benefit to our staff. Because it has become such a powerful recruiting tool, recently multiple school districts across the state have come to tour our childcare program with the intention of starting their own program. The BEE Childcare (Bryan Early Educational Childcare) program started in 2020 with 26 children and now has 136 employees’ children enrolled to date.”
The BOE statement ended by noting Brooksher’s experience is important as the county faces challenges from growth. The system is planning to open a new 3,500-student, $100 million Richmond Hill High School in 2025 and plans are in the works to build a new 1,000-student Bryan County High School in 2028 at a projected cost of $55 million.
Additional elementary schools and operations facilities are also on the drawing board.
“Lastly, in 2012, no one on the Board of Education would have predicted that our county, 11 years later, would be known as the fastest growing county in the state of Georgia and the 6th fastest growing in the nation. We appreciate Dr. Brooksher’s leadership as we continue to work together with local leaders regarding the future. Given the importance of Bryan County Schools continuing to meet the demands of the growth facing our community, experienced and proven leadership is needed more than ever. We are grateful to Dr. Brooksher for all he has done for Bryan County schools and Bryan County students over the 11 years. We look forward to an exciting future.”