Employees with the Linden City Schools are taking retirement and staying in their positions part time to lesson the financial burden to the school system.

The Linden City Board of Education approved Monday the retirement of Mrs. Mattie Richards Herd as principal of George P. Austin Middle School, Melvin Hodges, a teacher at Linden High School, and Mrs. Frances Thrash, all effective July 1.

Each will be employed as a part-time retiree for a two year period.

It gives us an opportunity to do some things within the system. It saves us some money, but it does not water down the program. We’ll make use of the total staff."

In other action from Monday’s meeting, the board did not renew the contracts of all non-tenured personnel both certified and non-certified. Board member Henry Ervin abstained due to what he described as a "philosophical" difference.

The board accepted the retirement of Mrs. Bernice Hodges, effective July 1, and a request for one-year medical leave from Mrs. Susan Renfore.

Membership dues ($1,479) were approved for the Alabama Association of School Boards.

The 2002-2003 school calendar was revised to include the May 26 Memorial Day holiday.

A drainage problem still exists in the basement of the city board building, and a water problem exists also in the basement of Linden High School. Davis said the matter would be looked into this week.

Davis praised the work of the Adult Education Program which recently received a favorable rating. Adult education has been transfered into post-secondary status in the state, and Davis did not know how that would affect the Linden system’s control of the program.

The Linden system should know by the next meeting, July 1, about the status of federal allocations for the 2002-2003 school year.