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Sean Maika, the superintendent of the North East Independent School District, announced Monday he is retiring in January 2026.
Maika has led San Antonio’s second largest school district for more than six years, starting as the interim superintendent in May 2019 before officially being named superintendent four months later. He started his career in education in 1995.
In a letter to students, parents, and staff, Maika said Monday that “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.”
School leaders often choose to retire at the end of the school year and often announce their retirement several months in advance to give their school boards time to find a new superintendent.
However, in an email NEISD spokesperson Aubrey Chancellor said mid-year is also a valid time to resign.
“The District is in a good place right now and Dr. Maika thinks it’s a good time,” Chancellor said.
Chancellor said his last day is expected to be January 16, almost exactly two months from now.
The NEISD board of trustees meets this evening, but Chancellor said they will not be discussing the appointment of an interim superintendent because the board agenda has already been set. Instead, Chancellor said the appointment of an interim leader will most likely be discussed at the December board meeting.
Maika led NEISD through the pandemic, navigated budget deficits and school closures, and most recently, through the district’s first bond election in 10 years.
Prior to becoming superintendent, he served as an assistant superintendent, executive director, and campus principal at NEISD.
“Becoming the superintendent in the very district where my children attended school has truly been a dream come true,” Maika said in the letter announcing his retirement. “Together, we continue to uphold and advance NEISD’s longstanding tradition of excellence.”
