Howard County Public School System taps chief academic officer as interim superintendent
BALTIMORE -- Howard County Public School System Chief Academic Officer Bill Barnes will serve as the public school district's acting superintendent next month, according to the Howard County Board of Education.
Barnes will take over for Superintendent Michael Martirano starting on Jan. 10, 2024, school officials said.
Martirano announced his retirement from the school district in November.
He leaves after addressing a myriad of bus service issues that left some Howard County students without transportation to their schools.
At the beginning of the school year, thousands of Howard County students were grappling with school bus problems. The school buses were getting delayed due to insufficient route timing and traffic delays, which created a domino effect.
School officials said in October that they had addressed most of the issues tied to California-based contractor Zum Transportation.
The Board of Education noted that during his time as superintendent, Martirano played "a pivotal role" in advancing the district's mission of providing quality education to every student and had served the Howard County Public School System with "unwavering dedication."
Barnes has been the school district's chief academic officer since 2017, according to school officials.
During that time, he was awarded the National Board Certification and Maryland's prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, school officials said.
In his current position, Barnes oversees several of the district's departments, including the special education department.
Barnes will lead the school system while the board conducts a nationwide search for someone to permanently replace Martirano.
