After careful consideration of all factors and information available from the Bulloch County Emergency Management Agency, Bulloch County Schools Superintendent Charles Wilson has decided to proceed with a normal school day and after-school schedule on Thursday.
Georgia Southern University quickly followed by announcing it will resume normal operations at 8 a.m. Thursday, and the Charter Conservatory said it, too, will reopen Thursday.
Earlier Wednesday afternoon, Bulloch Academy announced it will resume normal operations Thursday.
Bulloch County EMA reports that all roads and bridges are clear, and public safety personnel will continue to monitor conditions throughout today and tonight. Bulloch County sheriff's deputies and others will look for any isolated hazardous conditions. Road crews are on standby to respond if necessary. If you happen to live in an area affected by any of these isolated conditions, make the best decision possible for your family as far as travel.
Georgia Power and Bulloch County EMA have reported that there are no power outages across the community. In addition, the power, heat and all other utilities at each of the district's 16 campuses are currently in good condition and functioning properly. District maintenance personnel stand ready to respond if necessary.
The National Weather Service office in Charleston, S.C., is reporting a cold and dry forecast for Bulloch County Thursday. There is a forecast for potential light non-accumulating precipitation in areas south of Bulloch County and along the coast. This may be the reason that some of the school systems in those areas are closed Thursday, Bulloch schools spokeswoman Hayley G. Greene said in a news release Wednesday afternoon. Given the predicted conditions for Bulloch County, the likelihood of Bulloch schools being affected is very low, she said.
"We encourage parents to dress students warmly," Greene said. "Also, we encourage parents to caution their student drivers to drive slowly and leave plenty of time and space for braking. Parents may also want to evaluate if their student drivers have adequate experience with driving in winter conditions, and if not, parents may want to provide transportation for them tomorrow."
Georgia Southern spokesman Casey Jones added: "Although the weather forecast for tomorrow predicts very cold temperatures with no sleet or snow, everyone is reminded to exercise caution while traveling and report all unsafe conditions to local authorities."