Update from the Board of Education of Howard County

December 7th, 2023

The following message was sent from the Board of Education to HCPSS students, staff, and community members on December 7, 2023.

The Board of Education of Howard County (Board) would like to provide our community with an update on the Board’s process to appoint an Acting Superintendent. First, the Board wants to acknowledge that transitions can be difficult and many in our HCPSS community are concerned about the continuity of operations as Superintendent Dr. Michael J. Martirano retires in January. The Board wants to assure you that we are committed to facilitating a smooth transition that ensures steady and stable leadership.

Following Dr. Martirano’s announcement, the Board immediately began a process to identify an Acting Superintendent. The Board has met multiple times and hopes to make an announcement within the next two weeks.

Following the announcement of an Acting Superintendent, the Board plans to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent Superintendent. There will be opportunities for stakeholders to provide input during this process. We will provide regular updates to our students, staff, and community throughout the process. Our goal is to have a permanent Superintendent hired and ready to begin July 1, 2024. This will help to ensure a smooth start to the 2024-2025 school year.

As a Board, we wish Dr. Martirano well and want to thank him for ensuring that the school system has a strong leadership team in place to manage and lead the system. Drawing on the strong leadership team that remains, we hope to alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty some of our community may be feeling.

Please be assured that the Board will work alongside the Acting Superintendent and support the system leadership to ensure that our students, staff and community are cared for well. We are excited to be partners with you, our community members, as the Board selects a new Superintendent to lead our system through the next four years.