Calhoun County School District superintendent’s employment in violation of retirement

EDITSON — The Albany Herald has learned that Calhoun County School District Superintendent Michael Ward’s employment with the Calhoun Board of Education violates retirement terms with the Teacher Retirement System of Georgia.

A tax-exempt organization complaint was filed by an anonymous school district employee in July 2023 alleging the misuse of Title I funds, failure to report Ward’s taxes from his monthly salary and that the school board was aware of this.

Ward worked for the school district for Fiscal Years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he received a yearly salary of $124,400 and a monthly travel stipend of about $10,000, according to information provided by Open Georgia. He also was receiving retirement benefits from TRS.

Maurice King, the attorney representing the employee who filed the complaint, said Ward’s salary should have been a full-time position for the system.

“It doesn’t make sense that the county would be paying Ward this amount as he is “never in the district,’” King said.

Emails from September 2023 between a TRS retirement specialist and Jane Walden, the school district’s finance director, indicated TRS was not aware of Ward’s employment with the district and that he was not eligible to work in a full-time capacity without suspending or terminating his retirement benefits.

His employment also exceeds part-time salary limitations for each of the years he was employed, the email reads.

The Albany Herald reached out to members of the Calhoun School Board, including Chair Julian Holder and Vice Chair David Barnes, but has not heard back regarding the situation. Board member Lester Hutchins said he was unaware of the situation and could not comment at this time.

More emails from September read that Calhoun’s Board of Education has these options regarding Ward’s employment:

— He can work part-time within the salary limit and with a one-month break in October. He could then return in October and work 49%;

— Ward could work 50% or more but with termination of his retirement benefits;

— The board could terminate his employment.

At a Sept. 11 meeting, the board agreed with the part-time employment option for Ward with a one-month service break in October. An email from Walden indicates that the Board plans to have him return to 49% employment in November. This decision is supposed to be voted on in October. The county’s board will pay overpayment for Ward’s violation determined by TRS.

This is a developing story.

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