School Board Opposes Proposed School Entrance Changes By County

The Oconee County Board of Education has sent a strongly worded letter to the County Commission complaining about the changes made to the staff and bus entrance to its Malcom Bridge Road school complex and rejecting all proposed changes for the parent entrance to Malcom Bridge Middle School.

The three-page letter, dated Aug. 21 but released to the public on Tuesday by Oconee County School Superintendent Jason Branch, is signed by all five members of the Board.

The letter follows, and relies on, a study by Breedlove Land Planning of Bishop and Atlanta presented to the Board of Education at its regular meeting on Aug. 10.

Matt Tanner from Breedlove Land Planning told the School Board at that meeting that he did not like any of the options being considered by the Oconee County Board of Commissioners for a redesigned parent entrance to Malcom Bridge Middle School and was critical of the completed bus entrance.

In the letter, the School Board members said “it has become clear that there was never a demonstrated, requested or urgent need for these changes” and that “The Board of Education's perspectives and opinions were never fully considered.”

“In the middle of a pandemic with all of the issues that the Oconee school system is trying to deal with to actually conduct this school year ......... this unnecessary road modification is simply not--and should not be--a priority,” the School Board members write.

In a separate development, all four candidates for the two contested seats on the Board of Education that will be on the Nov. 3 ballot have agreed to participate in a virtual candidate forum on the evening of Sept. 17.

For more on the story, and a complete copy of the School Board letter, please go to Oconee County Observations.