There's stuff happening other than Hyundai: 3 things to watch for in 2023 in Bryan County

State legislatures and local officials in Bryan County are eager to tackle priorities within the community when they head into the state session in January. Everything from education to infrastructure are key items state reps must manage to keep the county moving in the right direction.

The county boasts one of the state’s best school’s districts and its proximity to the Port of Savannah has made it a hotspot for companies looking to do business on the east coast and beyond.

Jesse Petrea, who represents House District 166, said this is an exciting time for legislatures as they work toward bringing more jobs to the state and provide housing for projects such as Hyundai.

More:After video of overcrowded Bryan County school bus surfaces, parents worry for lack of safety

More:'This is where they're coming': Rincon officials excited for future with Hyundai, region growth

More:Bryan County accepts $37.1 million loan for water, sewer infrastructure ahead of Hyundai

Here are four things to keep an eye on in 2023.

Raising wages for teachers and funding transportation

On average, teachers in Bryan County make around $60,000. Those figures are comparable for educators with 10 years of experience and a master’s degree. The rising cost of basic needs such as housing and food require a huge chunk of those dollars and those wages fall well below states like New York and Massachusetts. Petrea said higher wages are crucial to attracting dedicated educators.

“We have the highest average teacher salary in the southeastern United States,” said Petrea. “We have made paying our teachers a priority for years now. I was very supportive of that because that’s important. We need to have better teachers and then hold them accountable. I think that's far better and the data shows that it is more impactful than class size. The best, quality teachers are fundamental to having the best schools.”

Earlier this year, a student at Richmond Hill High School posted a video showing students on an overcrowded school bus. Community members say it is not the first time they have witnessed children packed in like sardines. Petrea said 55% of the budget goes to education in the aggregate and he will aid Bryan County Schools any way he can.

More:As the school year kicks off in Bryan County, here are three concerns shared by parents

“We're going to be there to do whatever it takes to provide what our school system needs,” said Petrea. “We’ve got to have the system reaching out to us to make sure we know what’s going on locally. If there are issues related to transportation, employees, the provision of buses and other types of transportation, you can count on us. If there is a need, I think we've proven over the last, especially four years, that we are going to be there to do that.”

The school district’s Pupil Transportation budget for 2023 is $6.4 million with just $553,000 from the state.

“Bryan County Schools consistently advocate for increased state funding in the area of pupil transportation to include funding to offset the cost for replacement of buses,” said Melissa Roberts, coordinator of Communications and Marketing for Bryan County Schools. “In addition, the district increased local funding to support compensation increases for various positions which included bus drivers.”

Workforce housing

Bryan County is booming with industrial growth. Norma Precision, Webstaurant and Hyundai headline a busy year of expansion in companies that will build facilities throughout the county.

Carter Infinger, chairman for the Bryan County Board of Commissioners, said the county is in the beginning phase of sorting out how many rooftops they will need to support projects like Hyundai. “There will be a workforce housing initiative to figure out,” said Infinger. “And as those folks begin to come in, how is that going to look? That’s what we're trying to work on now.”

What's next for Hyundai?Investment signals shift in automotive industry, regional economy

But residents are frustrated by the lack of affordable housing. The median price for a house in Richmond Hill is $460,000, a number that puts many locals out of reach of buying a home on the south end of the county.

Petrea said anyone who takes a job at the plant will benefit from already having a roof over their head and those moving to the area will need to consider which areas are most affordable.

“If someone lives in Ellabell, I want him to have that job and he won’t need to buy a home because he already lives there,” said Petrea.

“People don't have to live in Richmond Hill to work at the plant. Not everybody gets to live wherever they want because there's a free market. These jobs are going to be taken by people that live in Effingham County. Guyton and all of these areas will be in demand. If people are going to take those jobs, they've got to contemplate where they're going to live. My hope is that a lot of people that are already living in our community are taking those jobs.”

Labor force for Hyundai plant

Hyundai will need more than 8,000 laborers to operate the EV plant in Ellabell. There are lingering questions as to whether local officials can secure such a large workforce and if laborers will be brought in from overseas.

Petrea has been vocal about Georgians getting first dibs on jobs at the Hyundai plant.

“My hope is that local tradesmen are building this plant to the greatest degree possible and I'm putting all of my effort into that,” said Petrea. “I have met with everybody up and down the line, on a county level and on a state level to emphasize the importance of local tradesmen having those jobs. I spoke with Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, about that issue. All of these incentives are provided by our people and the goal is that our community will benefit from it. We should not be bringing people from overseas. There may be certain expertise, of course [where that is needed] but the masses of people who build and work in this plant need to be Georgia people.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Bryan County GA news: Three things to watch in 2023