It’s a new school year, and some Bulloch County students will attend classes in brand new schools.  Exciting, but there may be a few traffic issues of which parents should be aware to make sure the new start goes smoothly.
      New construction that is not quite complete at Portal Middle/High School may cause some confusion when parents drop their kids off, or when older students who drive make their easy to school.
      Bulloch County Assistant School Superintendent Charles Wilson said wet weather delayed completion of the school’s student parking lot, so until the paving is finished, students will park behind the school near the “bus loop” drop-off.   Students will enter the area from the Metter-Portal Highway, behind the school tennis courts, he said.
      Parents dropping off students will enter from the west side of the school, turning onto Clarke Street off U.S. 80 West, next to centennial Park. They will exit onto U.S. 80, he said.
      Buses will enter and exit from Metter-Portal Highway, as will students who drive.

Julia P. Bryant, Mattie Lively
      With two elementary schools side by side, traffic at the new Julia P. Bryant Elementary School on Stockyard Road, and at the “old” JPB site which is temporarily housing Mattie Lively Elementary students, could get sticky.
      Mattie Lively students are attending classes in the old JPB school buildings until a new school can be constructed at the old Mattie Lively site on Debbie Drive. While students are learning in the old Julia P. Bryant school, the old Mattie Lively school will be demolished, Wilson said.
      Bulloch County Schools media relations spokesperson Hayley Greene said BOE officials ask parents to please “ …  adhere to the following traffic patterns for students at Julia P. Bryant and Mattie Lively Elementary Schools as the two campuses will be temporarily located next door to each other for the 2010-2011 school year”
       While both schools border Stockyard Road, they face different streets. The new Julia P. Bryant address is  421 West Main Street , while the Mattie Lively/ old JPBES address is 400 Donnie Simmons Way, she said.
      Wilson said Statesboro Police will monitor traffic during the beginning of the day and when school ends. BOE officials met with police and other Statesboro city officials to devise the safest and most effective traffic patterns, Greene said.
      The patterns were designed “in order to ensure safety and achieve the best traffic flow possible for the BOE’s schools and Bulloch Academy which is also in the same area,” she said.”All BOE and city officials are asking parents to adhere to these traffic patterns during the mornings when these schools begin at 7:50 a.m. and afternoons when these schools end at 2:20 p.m.”
       Parents may obtain printed maps and instructions by visiting the school system’s website www.bulloch.k12.ga.us. 
      For Julia P. Bryant students and parents, all traffic must enter from Foss Street and exit onto West Main Street . No left turns will be allowed off West Main Street onto school property or onto Foss Street, she said.
      Mattie Lively Elementary students and parents will enter the school property from Stockyard Road, and will also exit onto Stockyard Road, where only a right turn is allowed, she said.