WASHINGTON — Montgomery County’s Board of Education will meet Wednesday to appoint an interim superintendent of schools, it announced Tuesday.
The decision comes after the school board’s “preferred candidate” withdrew his name from consideration on Sunday.
Andrew Houlihan, the chief academic officer for the Houston Independent School District, had interviewed with Montgomery County officials just days before suddenly notifying the board that he was no longer in the running for the job.
Since Joshua Starr stepped down as Montgomery County School superintendent in February. Larry Bowers, the school’s chief operating officer, had been tapped as interim schools chief. School spokesman Dana Tofig would not say whether Bowers will be reappointed to the interim post that will begin July 1 and run through June 30 of 2016, but sources familiar with the process say Bowers would be the “logical choice.”
At a briefing with reporters Monday, Montgomery County Council president George Leventhal said he had little information about why Houlihan suddenly decided to withdraw his name.
But Leventhal spoke highly of Bowers and added, “I don’t think there’s any reason for parents or the community to worry that there’s any breakdown in the administrative leadership of the system, I think it’s operating very effectively (with an interim schools chief).”
The Montgomery County Board of Education will meet Wednesday at 3 p.m. to appoint the interim superintendent. A statement from the school’s office of public information explains that, in accordance with the law, the appointment will have to be approved by the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
