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It was standing room only Thursday afternoon at the Brewton City Board of Education’s special called meeting that ended with the planned departure of Dr. Kenneth Varner as the system’s superintendent.

As the Board President Ann Peach called the meeting to order, only one item was on the agenda for the meeting — personnel action.

“We are here to accept the resignation of Dr. Varner,” Peach said. “He has submitted a letter of intent to retire as of Dec. 31, 2024. Do I hear a motion?”

Board Member Mark Manning made a motion to accept the resignation with some additional stipulations.

“I make a motion that the Board accept and approve the resignation and retirement of Dr. Kenneth Varner as Superintendent effective Dec. 31, 2024,” Manning read from prepared motion notes, continuing the motion to approve “his request for the Board to pay him the amount due to him from July 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2024 as a lump sum on on before June 30, 2024 as allowed per his contract, and releasing him from any further obligation to the board as of June 30, 2024, with Dr. Varner having no further duties or responsibilities as Superintendent under the terms of his employment contract with the Board after June 30, 2024, and the Board having no further obligations to Dr. Varner under his contract.”

Manning’s motion was seconded by James Weaver and received a unanimous vote from other board members including Peach and Sybil Brundidge.

In a second motion, Manning asked the Board to approve a special leave request from Varner.

“I make a motion that Dr. Varner’s request for special paid leave effective June 3, 2024 through June 30, 2024 be granted with no change in pay with Dr. Varner being available as needed during this time frame,” Manning said.

The motion was seconded and received a unanimous vote by Board members.

With no other motions brought before the members, Peach thanked Varner for his work in the Brewton City Schools System.

“We want to thank the great work by Dr. Varner in his nine years here,” Peach said. “During his time our system has been recognized for outstanding student achievement (among other things.) We appreciate that he is willing to work through the end of the school year and work with us as we work through placing an interim.”

With no other business, the meeting was adjourned