PENDLETON —Gary Burgess said he has enjoyed his nine years in the Anderson 4 School District — the past five as superintendent — but added that it is time to look to the future.

Burgess, who has completed 28 years as an education employee in South Carolina, recently informed the Anderson 4 Board of Trustees that he wished to retire June 30. Last week, the board offered Burgess a sabbatical leave with pay and benefits starting Aug. 1 and ending July 31, 2009. During that time, the former superintendent will undertake advanced study and professional development.

“I’m looking at the last third of my life,” Burgess said during an interview Tuesday. “I need to be giving my time and interest in other areas, so that, when the day is over and the journey is done, I can feel good about what I’ve been able to accomplish.”

Though Burgess is proud of his efforts in District 4, he said his decision to retire came following the birth of his son years ago. During that time, Burgess said he told his wife that he could officially retire the summer of his son’s freshman year in high school and that occurred this year.

Burgess, per the terms of the sabbatical leave, will be required to be available to the board or administration to provide any needed consultation or professional advice that may be requested. In exchange, he will continue to receive from the district the equivalent of his annual contracted salary and certain benefits.

Already, Burgess has several professional irons in the fire. He is currently pastoring a church in Spartanburg, is in the process of completing a book and is involved in national work in Massachusetts and Maine, as well as international work.

Burgess said he might eventually decide to pursue additional employment, such as education consulting work, at some point.

“My family and I will continue to live in Pendleton,” Burgess said, adding, “It has been a great experience with the students I worked with and the teachers I worked with at Pendleton High School.

“As a district, I don’t think you’ll find a better administrative team than I have. We work well together.”

Anderson 4 School Board Chairman Tom Dobbins said Maurice Lopez, who has worked in the district’s financial office, including chief financial officer, for several years, has assumed the duties of Interim Superintendent. Lopez will remain in that capacity until the new superintendent takes over July 1, 2009.

“We will begin the search after the August board meeting,” Dobbins said.

Both Burgess and Dobbins insist the incident between the superintendent and Pendleton High School nurse Dot Gibson earlier this year did not play a role in Burgess’ decision to retire. Gibson alleged that Burgess intimidated her when she felt there was a problem with the dosage of medication being given to Burgess’ son.

The issue was ultimately resolved after a school district evaluation of the incident.

“There were some controversies during the past school year, but they had a minimal effect,” Burgess said, adding, “I’ve dealt with much more difficult things in my career.”

Dobbins agreed, adding, “Dr. Burgess just felt it was in his best professional interests and in his family’s interests for him to retire. The incident with Nurse Gibson was not the reason for his retiring.”

Dobbins said the school board is committed to finding the best candidate to fill the position permanently, whether that candidate is in-house or from outside the school district. The board chairman said members have “a lot of confidence” in Lopez financially as well as through his previous experience as a school superintendent in another district.

“We felt he would be a good choice for the board, especially with the financial situation facing the district for the next two years,” Dobbins said, adding that funding assistance from the state is being cut at a time when mandates, including employee salary increases, are being passed down from Columbia to Anderson 4 and other local school districts.

Burgess, who introduced Lopez at a staff meeting last Monday and will do the same at a superintendent’s meeting next Monday, said he feels that the district will continue to run smoothly.

“I think the district is in good hands with Mr. Lopez as Interim Superintendent and Dr. (Joanne) Avery as Deputy Superintendent,” Burgess said.

While looking back on his educational career, all but eight of which were spent in Spartanburg County, Burgess said he has “learned a lot and grown a lot.”

“To this point, I feel great about what I’ve done — a poor boy, first generation college student later named Alumnus of the Year (at Wofford College),” Burgess said, adding, “I ended up being a superintendent, talking on the same stage as President Bush and Laura Bush — trying desperately to secure a future, not only for my own children, but also other children as well.”

Burgess said he believes that educators must work together more as a team and truly integrate students from all races and cultures to raise the level of education and lower crime.

“We’ve desegregated, but not integrated — poor kids, white kids, Hispanic kids and kids from other ethnic backgrounds,” Burgess said. “There must be dialogue that all kids are not being educated and that dialogue must not only be inclusive, but honest.

“It’s about what happens to the kids in the classroom.”