GIA Heritage
Tracing the history of the Georgia Interscholastic Association
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Profile: Jackson County

Year Minimum Foundation building program completed
1957 (Commerce), 1957 (Jackson County), ? (Jefferson).

J.L. Williams Elementary was erected for Black students as part of Commerce's building program. Jackson's program included an addition to Bryan High and Elementary. As Bryan was in Jefferson city, nothing else was needed as part of Jefferson's program.

Year of total integration
1967 (Jackson County); ? Commerce; ? Jefferson.

Jackson County was split into three separate school systems - Jackson County, Commerce and Jefferson - though the three had an agreement that Bryan would serve all high school students and most elementary school students. Commerce had its own elementary school.

The start of the 1965-66 school year saw four Black students at Commerce Junior High and three at Commerce High.

For the 1967-68 school term, the Jackson County students at Bryan were sent to schools in that system, leaving the two city systems still there. White teachers were used at Bryan High during this school year.

The remainder of the Bryan High students totally integrated in 1968. On July 17, 1968, The Jackson Herald said its 177 high school students would be sent to both Commerce and Jefferson high schools. The closure of the high school came a year after the Jackson County students attending were sent to that high school.

Known high schools
  • Bryan (Jefferson)
  • Johntown (Commerce)

Johntown had a full high school at one time, but never made the conversion to 12 grades. It later combined completely with Bryan. Despite being located in Jefferson, Bryan served all three school systems within the county.

Known schools
  • 1952-53: Cedar Grove, Center, Daniel Grove, Hoschton Chapel, Hurricane Grove, Jones Chapel, Maxey Hill, Neal Rosenwald, Summer Hill, Summit Chapel, Wills Academy; Bryan, Johntown
  • 1953-54: Cedar Grove; Johntown (11 grades)
  • 1954-55: Cedar Grove, Center, Daniel Grove, Hoschton Chapel, Hurricane Grove, Jones Chapel, Maxey Hill, Neal Rosenwald, Summer Hill, Summit Chapel, Wills Academy; Johntown (11 grades)
  • 1955-56: Cedar Grove, Center, Hoschton Chapel, Jones Chapel, Maxey Hill, Neal Rosenwald, Summer Hill, Summit Chapel, Wills Academy (county – complete list); Bryan, Johntown (complete total list; JHS has 11 grades)
  • 1956-57: Center, Hoschton Chapel, Jones Chapel, Summit Chapel; Bryan, Johntown (JHS only has 11 grades)
  • 1957-58: Bryan, Hoschton Chapel, J.L. Williams (full list)
The Georgia Department of Education begins publishing a list of schools in 1956-57.
  • 1956-57: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); Johntown (1-11) (Commerce city); County list not complete (see above).
  • 1957-58: Bryan (grades 1-12), Hoschton Chapel (1-7) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1958-59: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1959-60: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1960-61: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. WIlliams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1961-62: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1962-63: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1963-64: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1964-65: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1965-66: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1966-67: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1967-68: Bryan (grades 1-12) (county); J.L. Williams (1-7) (Commerce city)
  • 1968-69: Bryan (grades 1-7) (county)
  • 1969-70: Bryan (grades 1-7) (county)
Additional notes