North East Independent School District Superintendent Sean Maika will leave his post in January after more than six years.
Maika announced his plans to retire in a letter to staff and families on Monday.
“I am grateful for the trust and support you have shown to both NEISD and to me personally. Even when things are going well, life often provides moments that prompt reflection — opportunities to step back, assess where our time and energy are devoted, and consider what comes next,” Maika said in a statement.
Starting his career in 1995, Maika has worked in several roles across public education. He was chosen interim superintendent in 2019 and was later hired on by the board to be the permanent superintendent.
Before that, he served NEISD as assistant superintendent of instruction and campus administration, executive director for school administration and as principal of Harris Middle School.
NEISD is the second largest school district in San Antonio, serving 56,000 students across more than 70 schools.
Under his tenure, the district established a state-of-the-art cybersecurity magnet school program, became the second district in the nation to partner with NASA.
More recently, voters approved 97% of a $495 million bond package for NEISD to finance huge capital renovations and purchases. The district has also earned recognition from Forbes Magazine five times as one of the “Best Places to Work.”
NEISD has also seen some controversy with Maika at the helm. Earlier this year, the district closed three school campuses as a cost-saving measure, sparking parent backlash.
It’s also been one of the few San Antonio-area serving as battlegrounds for partisan culture war issues, including mask mandates during COVID-19, book banning and sex education.
In October, the district held its ground on its implementation of House Bill 1481, which bans cellphones during instructional time in Texas public schools, despite reprimand from the state education agency.
Maika has been openly critical of state leaders in the past for not allocating more funding for public schools to use for basic day-to-day costs.
His resignation will take effect in January. NEISD district spokesperson Aubrey Chancellor said the board will discuss next steps in a December meeting.
Maika did not offer a specific reason for his retirement, but said “it’s been an honor and a privilege to serve this remarkable community.”