Lee County Schools Superintendent Mike Howard is retiring, announcing Tuesday night that he plans to step down at the end of December.

Howard made the announcement during Tuesday night’s Lee County Board of Education meeting. He said his retirement will take effect December 31, 2026, roughly halfway through the 2026–2027 school year.

Howard was hired as superintendent approximately three years ago.

The announcement comes after Howard previously addressed rumors surrounding his future with the school system.

CNAW2News is told Howard sent an email to Lee County Schools staff approximately two weeks ago to “address the rumor that had been making its way around the district.”

At that time, Howard reportedly told staff that he planned to retire at the end of the 2026–2027 school year.

Howard also told staff that, until his retirement, it would be business as usual and that he intended to remain focused on “raising the bar.”

However, during Tuesday night’s board meeting, Howard announced that his retirement will instead take effect on December 31.

It remains unclear why the retirement date was moved up from the end of the 2026–2027 school year.

Howard recently spoke with CNAW2News at a Smiths Station football game, where he discussed how proud he was of the Smiths Station school community and projects completed within the athletic department during his tenure.

CNAW2News will continue to follow the latest developments surrounding the leadership transition at Lee County Schools.