Photo Credit: Thinc UGA

Come June, Jared Bybee will no longer be the president of the Clarke County Board of Education. His family and he are moving to southern California, where his wife has accepted a job with the University of California, Irvine.

Bybee was first elected to the board in 2016. His colleagues voted him president in January 2018.

“Being on the board has been a ton of work, but very rewarding, and I’ve learned a lot from my colleagues on the board even when we disagreed,” Bybee said. “Even after seeing all the complicated innards of how it all works, I remain steadfast in my optimism for CCSD and the direction we are headed.”

Bybee’s wife, Mehrsa Baradaran, is a University of Georgia law professor and author of The Color of Money and How the Other Half Banks. Bybee also works at UGA, as director of the law school’s Economic Opportunity Clinic.

Someone from District 4 (the Five Points area) will have to be appointed as Bybee’s replacement—following the same process that saw Frances Berry replace Vernon Payne—and a new board president selected.  Will the board fill the seat for District 4 before selecting a new board president? Answers will likely be coming during the next few school board work sessions, board meetings and policy committee meetings.

“As board president, Jared has been a leader in focusing the Board on harmonious relations with each other, and a proponent of the 'Team of Ten' working relationship between the board and the superintendent,” said board member John Knox. “He has continually reminded us as a Board to stay 'above the line' in our dealings with the superintendent and school district, avoiding micromanagement of district responsibilities. I wish Jared and his family the best in their move to California."

Correction: Bybee no longer works at the Fanning Institute.