Ocean Shores Elementary School Principal Rhonda Ham has rescinded her letter of retirement and come to an agreement with North Beach School District Supt. Deborah Holcomb.

“As educational leaders, we have a vested interest in the students of the North Beach School District and we feel a mutual responsibility to work together on behalf of our students,” Ham and Holcomb said in a joint letter dated Oct. 10 and co-signed by both. It was titled, “Common Ground for North Beach.”

Ham’s resignation last month was met with a public outcry when about 75 people packed the School Board meeting and asked that board members look into the reasons the longtime principal with more than 30 years in the district was planning to leave by the end of the year.

Ham called the North Coast News on Wednesday to say that she wanted to submit a new statement that she was staying and that she and Holcomb had planned to jointly address the public.

“We are pleased to announce we have found common ground to create that positive working relationship between the two of us and thus, Rhonda Ham has rescinded her letter of retirement,” the joint letter said. “The two of us have worked through our differences and believe that we can once again be a strong team in supporting not only Ocean Shores Elementary, but the entire North Beach School District. We both appreciated the outpouring of support for Rhonda Ham and took that as an opportunity for self-reflection and healing. “

The board is scheduled to take up the situation at its Oct. 17 meeting.

“We look forward to working with our community to continue our journey together on behalf of students, staff, parents and community members of North Beach,” the letter concludes.