GREENBRIER COUNTY W.Va. (WVDN) – After retiring, Jeff Bryant, the seasoned educator and former Greenbrier Schools Superintendent, stunned the community with a comeback announcement. After bidding farewell to the helm earlier this year, Bryant’s return to the position has sparked intrigue and speculation.
Bryant recently spoke about his return and said it did not take long for him to realize that he wanted to get back to work. He said, “I love working with everyone involved in Greenbrier County Schools including the board members and, of course, all the teachers and employees, and more importantly the students at the schools. I do spend a lot of time in the schools and I realized that [there] is a void in my life [after retiring].”
Talking about working with staff and watching students learn and grow, Bryant said, “Everything I have dedicated my life to for 43 years, I realized I wasn’t ready to put that on a shelf.”
When asked about goals for the school system, Bryant stated that there are several major projects that he has been a part of that are underway. One example given is the new Alderson Elementary School which is nearing completion. Now that this project is almost done, Bryant noted that the next school on the list is Frankford Elementary School. Bryant stated that they hope to get started over the summer.
White Sulphur Springs Elementary is another goal on the list of projects. Bryant said they need a gymnasium teaching space. He said, “That is the project we will be pursuing next.”
According to Bryant, the school system worked with the Governor’s office to obtain close to $1 million for new roof construction at Greenbrier East High School. Bryant also noted that GEHS is the second-largest school in square footage in the state.
While discussing these vital projects, Bryant stated that his heart kept telling him, “You need to be a part of that, you want to be a part of that.” He went on to say, “It did not take long to reflect and think you really want to be a part of that.”
When asked if there has been a moment during his career that made him incredibly proud to be a part of Greenbrier County Schools, Bryant said, “There have been so many.” However, the moments that stuck out to him were everyone coming together to face challenges such as COVID-19 and the 2016 flood. He said, “I look at those as shining moments that I was privileged to be a part of.”
Bryant stated that he has always wanted to be a leader, “not for myself, I look at leadership as service.”
After Bryant’s initial retirement, Doug Clemmons stepped in as Interim Superintendent. Bryant expressed thanks to Clemmons saying, “[Clemmons] has done a tremendous job. We all knew Doug Clemmons was a man of integrity, but he has illustrated in the past month that he is capable of doing great things in challenging situations and I am indebted to Mr. Clemmons for that.”
As a final note, with deep emotion in his voice, Bryant stated, “I have always loved Greenbrier County Schools, I have loved trying to make life better for everyone and I found my love again.” He also stated he is willing to put in whatever time or sacrifice is necessary to be an effective leader. “It has always been a privilege to work for the best school system in the state so I want to continue doing that.”
