The Gadsden Independent School District board on Tuesday approved a voluntary retirement incentive intended to accelerate staff attrition as the district responds to declining enrollment.

Human resources presented the proposal as a one-time program open only to employees eligible to retire during fiscal-year 2026. "As of currently, we are trying to consolidate positions, FTEs, through attrition," the HR presenter said, adding that 241 employees are eligible and the district proposed funding incentives for approximately 121 employees (44 classified and 77 certified) if the board approves the plan.

The district estimated a one-time cost of about $1,300,000 for the incentive and an estimated reduction in personnel costs of roughly $6,000,000 thereafter. HR said employees who choose the incentive must submit a Google form by a posted deadline, that retirement eligibility will be verified before payment, and that the retirement date would have to fall between 01/01/2026 and 07/01/2026. HR also said it will offer in-person assistance for employees completing the form and will notify employees who have already filed retirement paperwork that they must also submit the Google form to be considered for the incentive.

Board members asked for clarifications about whether positions eliminated through attrition could be refilled; HR answered that positions eliminated through attrition would generally not be available for the same role. Board member Flores pressed district leadership on why staffing had not been reduced earlier and was told the district previously preserved smaller class sizes while state funding (SCG) remained available; the retirement incentive was presented as a preemptive measure in anticipation of funding reductions.

The motion to approve the retirement incentive passed on a voice vote. The board did not name individual vote tallies in the meeting minutes.

The action directs HR to implement the application process, verify retirement eligibility, and return if additional board action is required to finalize individual incentive payments.