It’s been a big week for the Bryan County Board of Education. It started off the week with a special meeting Monday to appoint its newest member, Amy Murphy, and it finished off the week with an open house Thursday to showcase the new central offices in Black Creek.
Murphy is serving the unexpired term of former District 3 member Charlie Johnson, who resigned from the post late last year before relocating to Washington, D.C. She was chosen from a small group of three candidates for the position who by all accounts were equally qualified for the job. But it may have been Murphy’s distinct line of work with children, adolescents and families, including those with special needs, at the Fraser Center in Hinesville that made her stand out.
According to Murphy, she has first-hand with such issues as teen suicide and substance abuse, the impacts of bullying and mental health issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Asperger syndrome.
“I hear and feel every day the impact a positive school system can have on children,” she told the BoE Monday night.
Murphy also has experience working with military families — another asset for a community that lies between two Army installations — and she has kids of her own in school in Richmond Hill, which, like most parents, gives her an added interest in the welfare of the school system.
The Bryan County News would like to congratulate Murphy on her appointment and wish her well during her time on the board. The BoE has some tough work ahead, most notably the search for a new superintendent, and we wish the board luck as it moves forward in what seems like such a daunting and difficult task.
We would also like to congratulate the school system on its new digs in what once served as Black Creek Elementary School. In addition to the central offices, the renovated building includes a museum room that showcases the history of the building — complete with old photos, a technology lab for teacher training and a meeting room for the BoE. But while the board now has its own place to meet, it has been said the group will continue to hold regular monthly meetings in the schools throughout the county. We hope this proves to be true as it makes the BoE much more accessible to members of the community.
With a new member on board and having gotten settled into its new home, here’s looking to a great year ahead for Bryan County’s schools.