Students in 2 Southeast Georgia counties are first in area to return to class | #schoolsaftey

CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. – It’s hard to believe but the annual back-to-school train is already chugging down the tracks, and students in Camden and Brantley counties are the first to climb aboard this year.

The two Southeast Georgia counties head back to class Wednesday for the new school year.

RELATED: Complete Back-to-School coverage

Students in Camden County also have a new superintendent, Dr. Tracoyla Green, who visited The Morning Show on Tuesday to chat about her expectations for the upcoming year.

Green said school safety is a priority and she has already spoken with law enforcement about their safety plans as well as filling them in on what procedures are in place for schools in the county.

A big thing is that parents and school staff need to be familiar with the school’s unification process in case of an emergency and schools need to know what to do to address crisis management.

Camden County was one of several Georgia school districts to be the target of active shooter prank calls last school year. Those hoaxes were investigated by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

“We plan meticulously, intentionally to make sure that the kids are safe and that they get everything that they need,” Green said. “We are going to make sure that your kids are safe and that they feel loved and welcomed.”

Last school year, Camden County underwent a process called “Operation Guardian” to examine policies and plans in place for school safety. It reviewed things like school security and if it was easy for someone who shouldn’t be there to gain access to a school. That training taught how schools could prevent that and improve security.

School buses

Camden: The district has the “Here Comes the Bus” app that shows the real-time location of your child’s bus, gives scheduled and actual arrival times and allows parents to sign up for push and email notifications when a bus is near.

If there is a delay of more than 15 minutes, parents can call the transportation office. Parents may be notified by an automated telephone call for buses that are running more than 10 minutes late.

Superintendent Green, who is herself a product of the Camden County school district, said she knows the first day of school can be hectic and overwhelming. She asks for everyone to have some patience and understanding.

“If there are any transportation issues, just be patient at the parent pick up and drop off line. Everybody is trying to figure out where to go, what to do. There is some construction at one of our schools so we will assign additional staff there,” she said.

The school Green mentioned is Sugarmill Elementary School, but she said that the school is safe and open for students.

The Transportation Department may be contacted at 912-729-8374 if there are questions that the schools are unable to answer.

Brantley: The Transportation Department of Brantley County Schools is charged with transporting over 3,000 students safely and efficiently every day. These buses cover 48 routes, twice daily, driving over 3,200 miles each day.

For late bus information, call 912-462-5159, but remember that the department experiences extremely high call volumes from 6:30-8:30 a.m. and from 2:15-5 p.m. During these hours, it can be extremely difficult to get through to the Transportation Department. If you can’t get through, please keep trying, the department says.