BCISD superintendent Lintzen sets 2021 retirement

Bridge City's school district is on the hunt for new leadership after this week's announcement by Superintendent Todd Lintzen that he plans to retire at the end of the current school year.

"After a great deal of thoughtful consideration I have decided to close out my 36-year career in education and retire at the end of this school year," Lintzen said in a letter he wrote to school staff and the community.

"I will make my retirement official at the [Thursday] November 19, 2020 Board meeting. It is my hope and belief that the timing of this announcement will allow the district enough time to recruit and select the best possible candidate to lead the district into the future."

Lintzen was hired by Bridge City in February of 2016 after spending eight years as superintendent at Blue Ridge, Texas, a district of 699 students on the northeastern edge of Collin County, in northeast Texas.

Lintzen retired from the Louisiana school system before accepting the Blue Ridge position. Prior to that, his background was in north Louisiana, where he worked for eight years as assistant superintendent in Shreveport, responsible for 14 schools and 8,000 students, according to a statement by then-BCISD board president Jerry McInnis when Lintzen was hired.

At Bridge City, he saw the school district grow from an enrollment of 2,887 students in 2016 to 3,104 in October of 2020 while having to deal with Hurricanes Harvey, Imelda, Laura and Delta on top of the current coronavirus pandemic.

Lintzen was hired to replace Michael King, who was earning $125,644 a year when he quit at the end of 2015 to go into private business. Starting salary for Lintzen was $158,000 a year and he earned $182,854, tops for any Orange County superintendent, in the 2019-20 school year, as reported by the Texas Education Agency.

He earned $113,557 in his final year at Blue Ridge.

"As the superintendent of the Bridge City Independent School District I have had the privilege and good fortune to work with a progressive and supportive Board of Education, a knowledgeable, highly professional, student-centered administration team, and a dedicated collaborative group of teachers and staff who always have the best interest of students at the top of their agendas," Lintzen wrote in his Tuesday letter.

"My experience in this district has been exceptional.

"Bridge City ISD has amazing students within our school district and that's the reason we are a phenomenal school district. Our students continue to excel both in and out of the classroom. I want to finish my time here knowing this community came together during a difficult time to support on another.

"None of our success could have come without our amazing teachers, administrators and support staff. They have been working diligently to create a safe and caring environment for our students whether they are learning in person or virtually.

"I am honored to have had the opportunity to lead this district and grateful to be able to close out my career in Bridge City ISD."