Graham Athletic Director to Retire Before School Board Balloting

Kyle Ward, a veteran educator and current athletic director at Graham High School, filed on the final day of the filing period, December 19, for one of three open seats on the Alamance-Burlington school board and confirmed in an interview Tuesday that he intends to retire from ABSS before his name appears on the November 2026 ballot. The nonpartisan school board race does not have a primary; three seats will be decided in the November general election.

Ward acknowledged the North Carolina constitutional and education law provision that requires any person who is elected or appointed to a local school board and who is employed by that board to resign employment before taking office. He said his planned retirement is both a personal and procedural decision. "This is not something I’m taking lightly; this is something I’ve had my sights set on for a little while now," Ward said. "I am retiring, as of June 30 of this year," he added. "That will give me 29 years."

Ward also plans to convert a year’s worth of unused sick leave to receive credit for 30 years of service required for full retirement benefits through the Teachers' and State Employees Retirement System. "That will give me 30 years with Alamance-Burlington schools," Ward elaborated. "I’ve got a couple months before I turn in my paperwork, but my intention as of right now is [to retire on] June 30."

A 1990 Graham High graduate and an Elon College alumnus, Ward began his career in public education following his 1997 graduation and has worked in the Graham zone for 29 years. He became Graham High’s athletic director in 2020 after serving as assistant athletic director and has coached nearly every sport at the school. Ward noted family ties to the district, saying his wife is a former educator and their three children attended ABSS schools. "I hope I can take the knowledge I have through my many years of service to better ABSS from the inside out – and that’s making sure we put students and teachers first," he said.

Ward will be among a crowded field vying for three seats; he will face incumbent board members Dan Ingle and Drs. Charles Parker and Eric Hall, along with four other candidates. His retirement and potential election carry immediate implications for both board composition and leadership continuity at Graham High. Voters will be weighing experience and priorities for K-12 education governance, while the district will need to plan for athletic department staffing and transitions if Ward follows through on his June departure.

State rules designed to avoid conflicts of interest mean Ward’s timetable makes him eligible to serve without holding concurrent employment with the district. As the campaign advances toward the November ballot, local voters will have the opportunity to assess how Ward’s decades of service and stated priorities align with broader needs in classrooms, school budgets, and extracurricular programs across Alamance County.