Riverdale Principal, Asst. Principal To Retire

After five years, Principal Carol Cantu is retiring.

Cantu, who recently went on leave as she recovered from heart surgery, was told by her doctor that she needs be weary of stress.

"The doctor said even though I'm enjoying what I'm doing, it can be stressful when you don't get enough sleep," she said, adding she spent most days at the schools, overseeing the education of 700 students, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., occasionally coming back in the evenings to work too.

Other factors also played into her retirement, like the county schools needing folks to retire to help balance the budget, Cantu said, and other job offers coming her way.

Her last day with the school will be June 30, while her last day with students is on June 17.

Cantu has 21 years of service with Prince George's County Public School, while not all consecutive. She was an assistant principal at and Bladensburg high schools, worked in the focus office in Upper Marlboro and taught at Kettering and Cherry Lane elementary schools.

Although she is retiring from PGCPS, she said she will be the principal at a "very small" Christian school in the Baltimore area.

"This is a unique community and unique school with a long legacy," Cantu said about Riverdale.

After digging through old documents, she discovered that in 1901, Riverdale Elementary was considered the best school in county.

"The students know we have a legacy to continue," Cantu said. "We’ve made AYP (adequate yearly progress) each year — we don’t know yet about this year, but the students have worked hard, the parents have been supportive."

"There’s nothing the school needed that I couldn’t get from the community," she continued. "I will miss Riverdale because it’s been a great experience for me and I've become friends with so many wonderful people."

Assistant Principal Carol Buhr is also leaving the school, Cantu said, saying she doesn't know who will replace them. Yet, parents and staff were allowed the opportunity to fill out surveys to help the county understand what type of leadership they'd like at their school.