The Glynn County School System

Focused on students, achievement and success . . .

As the country continues to grapple with the lingering effects of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, educational news in Georgia and throughout the nation seems to revolve mostly around negative issues like budget cuts, teacher layoffs and union strife.

While Glynn County has certainly not been immune to the impact of a sour economy, the outlook in the Glynn County School System in 2011 remains remarkably bright. With new school facilities coming out of the ground and bountiful stories of student achievements and success, the local public school system is possibly atypical in today’s educational landscape. While uncertain, the future remains full of potential and promise.

Look no further than the student who was one of only 100 nationwide to be selected to attend the 2011 Disney’s Dreamers Academy where she was inspired by highly successful Disney mentors, celebrities and innovators. Or, the football star with the 4.15 GPA who became the first student-athlete in Glynn County School System history to sign an athletic scholarship to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. These are just two of the numerous success stories that swelled local pride during the 2010-11 school year.

Originally chartered in 1788, today the Glynn County School System has nearly 13,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12, making it the largest public education system in southeast Georgia. The county’s students enjoy the support of engaged parents, an active business community, dedicated school administrators and a board of education that earned the “Board of Distinction” title from the Georgia School Boards Association. All schools are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Under the direction of Superintendent Howard S. Mann, a Brunswick native and 1970 graduate of Glynn Academy (one of the county’s two public high schools), the Glynn County School System is focusing on the basics of reading, writing and mathematics, while providing opportunities and programs to meet the needs of all students. For those students who excel in the classroom, numerous Advanced Placement^® courses with rigorous college-level curriculums are offered at both Brunswick High School and Glynn Academy. Opportunities to earn college credit are also available through dual enrollment courses at the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. At the elementary and middle school levels, the district’s gifted program encourages students to explore and excel.

Believing that all students can achieve and should be afforded opportunities to do so, Glynn County also offers non-traditional programs such as the Performance Learning Center (PLC) and E2020 labs at the high schools. While requiring that students in these programs pass mandated state assessments to earn a high school diploma, these programs offer the flexibility that enables many to achieve a goal they would have not thought possible upon entering high school. “Focus Graduation,” a program administered through a partnership with Communities In Schools (CIS) of Glynn County, targets selected at-risk ninth-grade students and provides guidance and support to help them achieve success throughout high school. Started three years ago at Brunswick High School with a small cohort of students, all 16 of the original “Focus Graduation” students were in their junior year of high school in 2010-11 and on track to graduate. The program has since been expanded to serve more students at both high schools. Programs such as the PLC, E2020 labs and “Focus Graduation” have helped to achieve a steady increase in the county’s graduation rate while lowering the dropout rate from 6.4 percent in 2008-09 to 3.7 percent in 2009-10.

Golden Isles Career Academy . . . 17 pathways to success

Opening its doors with overwhelming community and business support at the start of the 2009-10 school year, the Glynn County School System’s Golden Isles Career Academy is a public charter school that presents a new approach to learning.  The Career Academy provides high school credit and dual enrollment opportunities for students through a partnership with Altamaha Technical College and the business community. With career preparatory programs in 17 pathways ranging from automotive services, to engineering and manufacturing, hospitality/marketing, precision machining and welding, the school was created to build a bridge between the school system and business/industrial communities in southeast Georgia. Striving to provide a viable, skilled workforce to area businesses, real-world training begins early at The Career Academy with state-of the-art labs, work-based learning and apprenticeships. 

After its first academic year of operation, the Golden Isles Career Academy achieved a 100 percent graduation rate with students moving on to attend post-secondary institutions ranging from two-year colleges such as Altamaha Technical College to four-year research institutions such as the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Golden Isles Career Academy is the only career academy in the state with an independent 501(c)(3) foundation that supports the school’s students and staff through private contributions. The three main initiatives that the foundation supports are scholarships, service learning projects and co-curricular competitions.

New school facilities on the horizon

In December 2010, Glynn County Board of Education members and Superintendent Mann broke ground on the new Risley Middle School to be located on South Port Parkway in the high-growth southwest portion of Glynn County. As a new generation “green school,” the 900-student facility will feature a one-story, prototype design that maximizes natural light and utilizes energy efficient building materials and infrastructure such as air conditioning, heating and plumbing systems.

In 2011, the school system will begin construction of a new Brunswick High School to be built adjacent to the current school on Habersham Street. Facing Altama Avenue on the site of the former Jane Macon Middle School, the new two-story facility will be approximately 350,000 square feet and have a capacity of approximately 2,000 students. At an estimated cost of $57 million ($19.5 million of which will be provided through state funds), the new Brunswick High School will feature an auditorium with adjoining band room, a new gym, a high-tech media center and spacious cafeteria with outdoor seating, and grade levels (9-12) generally grouped together on separate upstairs and downstairs hallways. With its location across the street from the College of Coastal Georgia, when completed the new Brunswick High School will help to create an “education corridor” through the center of Brunswick that will underscore the community’s commitment to quality education.

The new construction projects were made possible through the community’s support of a second Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST, passed by the voters of Glynn County in November 2009. In addition to the new Risley Middle School and the new Brunswick High School, other ESPLOST II projects include major renovations to Glynn Academy (the second oldest public high school in the state and fifth oldest in the country) and a new Coastal Community Center for the Arts to be located on the campus of the College of Coastal Georgia.

“We are so fortunate to have such a supportive community that understands and values the importance of education,” Superintendent Mann said. “The school system and the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce work closely together on issues and initiatives that affect our community. We value the support of our business community and are working hard to produce quality graduates who are ready to join the workforce and meet the employment needs of our businesses and industries. It is truly a team effort that benefits all involved – our students, the business community and our community as a whole.

“While times have been tough over the past couple of years, we’ve been able to maintain important programs such as art and music that many other school systems have had to eliminate due to budget cuts,” Mann said. “We’ve also tried very hard to look out for our teachers and school faculties because we believe strongly that a dedicated and competent teacher is the most important component to a child’s education. We’re focused on doing everything possible to ensure that all students have a bright future in front of them when they graduate from the Glynn County School System.”

For more information about the Glynn County School System, visit www.glynn.k12.ga.us.