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When “movers and shakers” of Jackson County are listed, Anderson S. Byers always makes the list. In many ways, over a 40-year career as an educator, he has stamped his mark on the philosophy, character and opportunities of the people as surely as he has made his mark on the landscape. So, when he retired on June 1, as superintendent of the Jackson County School System, some people were left wondering what he—and they—were going to do in the future. And since 1993, as the schoolpopulation has grown from about 4,000 to 7,000 students, the county has built schools including the two middle schools and Jackson County Intermediate School. Also built has been East Jackson Elementary School, and the other five older elementary schools have seen extensive renovations. Maysville Elementary is just now finishing a major facelift and classroom addition. A new East Jackson Comprehensive High School is underway and scheduled to be opened in September 2007. A possible new middle school in South Jackson in the planning stages. Even with all the building, JCCHS last year had to finally give in to adding portable classrooms—and added several more this year. The high school stadium has been added along with a field house and an agriculture classroom/barn and a horticulture complex. A facility for the electric vehicle program has won national attention. In the meantime, under Byers’ leadership the FFA program has been named one of the four best in the nation, and the careers and vocational programs consistently turn out state and national award winners. Academics have been boosted including emphasis on reading and math from the the very start of a child’s educational career by special system-wide programs developed by the staff under the leadership of Byers. The impressive music program has consistent winners among its competing students, and the choral program has twice been invited to participate in international competitions. This year, Byers was recognized for his part in helping start a Junior ROTC program—Byers said he supported an idea that Dr. Leuzinger brought to him—that has convinced six other school systems to create similar programs. The result has been 16 $72,000 scholarships, one for $64,000, and two for $1,000 for some of those students in the past six years. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with a board of education that has always put the education of children first,” Byers said. “And I have been most fortunate to have a central office staff that is creative and so very supportive.” Byers was born in Hall County and grew up farming with his parents Sanford and Ruby Faye Byers, three brothers and one sister. “We worked from can’t see to can’t see,” Byers said. Then, in the 6th grade, he saw his teacher’s paycheck. It looked like a lot of money—easy money compared to farming, the young Byers decided. “I didn’t know the meaning of hard work,” he said. He got good grades in high school and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1966 with a bachelor’s in geography with social studies teaching endorsement. He also studied urban planning—something that would pay off in unintended ways. He later would get his master’s and his specialist’s degrees from the University. He taught for a couple of years in Hall County until he was drafted to go to Vietnam where he was wounded. In 1970, he came home to teach at Jackson County Elementary and High School in Braselton. “As a sixth grader at Jackson County Elementary School, I remember how anxious I was about having my first male teacher,” said Elaine Roberts Gunter. “That anxiety soon turned to excitement as I met Andy Byers with his huge smile and an evident love for kids and learning.” Mrs. Gunter said she also had Byers the next year as her 7th grade math teacher and later as her high school principal. Dr. James Jackson also remembers Byers’ leadership as both teacher and administrator when Jackson was a student. Dr. Jackson chose Byers as his STAR teacher because of his contributions and inspiration. He would be principal at Maysville Elementary from 1973 to 1974, then went back to Jackson County Elementary and High School as principal from 1974 to 1976. He became curriculum director for the system in 1976 and got a front-row seat to the controversies between the three school systems. He saw county students taken out of the Commerce City Schools when the 25-year contract for the city to educate county students ended in the late 1970s. That’s when Jackson County High School moved from Braselton to Jefferson in the old Bryan Hill High School building. He ran for and lost the race to be the last elected superintendent, and Byers went back to being a principal at Maysville Elementary in 1981. He became superintendent in 1993. He always had time to encourage students, and he was always a leader. He demanded that others be Alisha Hanley said Mr. Byers urged her to aim for an administrative position. Today Mrs. Hanley is principal of Jackson County Intermediate School and is one of the most highly respected, energetic, innovative principals in the system. But no matter what contributions he undoubtedly made to the lives of so many students and teachers, none match the single contribution that he and Ronnie Hopkins, chairman of the Jefferson City Schools, made one day about 11 years ago after a Rotary Meeting. Rotarians’ 4-Way Test is “In everything we think, do and say; is it the truth, is it fair to all concerned, will it build good will and better friendship, will it be beneficial to all concerned.” It is repeated at the end of every Neither will say who was the first to open the conversation, but both agreed during that after-lunch meeting it was past time to apply the Rotary 4-Way test to the school systems. Beside the Jackson County system, both Jefferson and Commerce maintain independent school systems, leaving Jackson one of the few counties left with independent systems. Attempts to combine the systems met with resounding defeats from voters despite carrots of money for buildings (and reduced property taxes) held out by the state Board of Education. On the other hand, those independent systems may have kept the pressure off to start private schools as many other communities have done, but the three-system school is considered archaic unless you live in Jackson County. Then there were the annexation issues. Commerce and Jefferson annexed valuable industrial sites along Interstate 85, and each annexation cut the industrial base to support an increasing county student population. The best example was Jefferson, going from 1,162 acres in 1965 and to 23,000 acres by 2000. There were other hard feelings left over from other actions of every board, and the situation seemed to be at an impasse until that Rotary meeting. What Byers and Hopkins did was to initiate shared tax districts bordered by I-85, U.S. 129 and U.S. 441. This rich landscape has proven to be an industrial and residential bonanza including the Commerce shopping area at Tanger One and Two that brings in millions from mostly out-of-county shoppers. On May 8, the three public school systems met and agreed to call a referendum for a $100 million special options sales tax. Without the clout and vision of at least Byers and Hopkins, calling that referendum likely would not have happened. Byers has been a leader in agribusiness, with the county’s airport authority and with the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce. What’s next for this man of vision? He has a daughter Emily in pre-veterinary medicine at Auburn University. Rachel is graduating from Jackson County Comprehensive High School this year. Byers said he plans to sit on his front porch, drink his coffee and get very, very bored. His wife, Lucy, has other plans for him.
Shannon Adams
Dr. John M. Jackson
Dr. James E. McCoy
design:digitaltom - ©Copyright 2006-2010 Living Jackson Magazine
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Building Legends and Legacies
