Case Title: Athens City Bd. of Educ. v. Reeves

Citation: 388 So. 2d 515

Docket Number: 

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 1980-09-19T00:00:00Z

Document:
388 So. 2d 515 (1980)
ATHENS CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION et al.
v.
Paul REEVES.
78-858.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
September 19, 1980.
Bruce Sherrill of Sherrill & Batts, Athens, and Vaughan H. Robison of Robison & Belser, Montgomery, for appellants.
P. Michael Cole and David U. Patton of Patton, Latham & Legge, Athens, for appellee.
EMBRY, Justice.
This is an appeal by the Athens City Board of Education and its members: Paul V. Ridgeway, Jimmy E. Alexander, J. Charles Durham, Nelson E. Howell, T. Sidney Johnston, Larry W. McCoy and Shelby Wilson. The judgment appealed from issued the writ of mandamus to the Board, and to each of its members, ordering delivery of an executed contract of employment to Paul Reeves for execution by him. The contract was for employment of Reeves as an R.O.T.C. instructor for the 1979-80 school year.
There are two questions to be answered by this court: (1) Did the trial court err in holding that Reeves was a regularly certified teacher as defined by the Alabama Teacher Tenure Act (§ 16-24-1, Code 1975)? and, (2) Did the trial court err in holding that notice in writing that he would not be reemployed was not given to Reeves on or before the last day of the school term as required by § 16-24-12, Code 1975, and therefore he was deemed reemployed for the succeeding school year under the terms of that code section?
For the convenience of the reader the pertinent code sections are here set out:
and
The essential facts in this case may be briefly stated. Paul Reeves is a retired U. S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who was first employed by the Athens City Board of Education for the 1977-78 school year as a senior Army instructor to teach R.O.T.C. at Athens High School. The evidence shows that the employment of Colonel Reeves, as with all R.O.T.C. instructors, was by obtaining a recommendation from the Army in the form of a license upon the basis of which the State Department of Education issued an R.O.T.C. instructor's certificate to Reeves. Such a certificate is not a professional certificate.
Prior to a scheduled meeting of the Board, Reeves had learned he would not be recommended for reemployment. Upon learning this he contacted Mr. Marvin Clem, Principal of Athens High School, got together with him and signed a written memo which Clem also signed that reads:
The Board held that meeting on 26 April 1979, at which Reeves was present. On the agenda for consideration were the recommendations of the Athens Superintendent of Education, Dale Weizenecker, on employment of personnel for the 1979-80 school year. The names of Reeves and others were listed in a document given the board by Weizenecker and his recommendation was that none listed be reemployed.
A vote was taken by the Board, in the presence of Reeves, to accept and approve the recommendations of the Superintendent. As is readily apparent, there can be no question in this case but that Reeves had actual knowledge he would not be reemployed. After the Board meeting, Weizenecker prepared a written notice to Reeves, dated 4 May 1979, advising him of the Board's action. That notice was addressed to Reeves at 613 Norton Drive, Athens, Alabama 35611, the address he gave to the Board at the time of his initial employment by it and at which he lived for five years to and including the filing of this action. The notice was not sent by certified mail but was stamped and mailed in a Board envelope by ordinary mail with the name and return address of the Board on it.
The 1978-79 nine-month school term for the Athens City School System ended 26 May 1979. On 30 May 1979, Reeves informed Principal Clem that he had not received any written notice he would not be reemployed for the school year 1979-80. Clem notified Weizenecker of Reeves' statement. Whereupon, on 30 May, Weizenecker hand delivered to Reeves, in Clem's office and presence, a copy of the 4 May notice of nonrenewal of Reeves' contract.
Based upon careful scrutiny of the record and examination of applicable Alabama statutes and cases, it is difficult to perceive how that decree could be improved upon. We will not undertake to do so but rather will adopt it as part of this opinion. The two questions to be answered by this court in this case are answered in the negative.
The State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Wayne Teague, was given leave to file an amicus curiae brief. He has done so, expressing grave concern about the consequences of allowing the decree below to stand. He eloquently argues that the decree, if not reversed, will impair the development and improvement of professional competency of the teachers in this State. The Superintendent is unduly alarmed. We cannot foresee any such effect emanating from the decision in this case.
Under both the statutes and the Alabama appellate precedents, the decree below is in all respects correct and due to be and is hereby affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
TORBERT, C. J., and MADDOX, FAULKNER and ALMON, JJ., concur.
[1]  R.O.T.C. instructors, home economics teachers and vocational teachers, although they do not receive professional certificates, are regularly certified by the State Department of Education.
[2]  It must affirmatively appear that written notice has been given in strict compliance with the statute. Johnson v. Selma Board of Education, 356 So. 2d 649 (Ala. 1978).