Cabarrus County Superintendent Chris Lowder has resigned after more than five years in the job, the district announced Wednesday. His resignation came at a special meeting Tuesday.
Lowder has led North Carolina’s eighth-largest school district since December 2015. In recent months he has been at odds with board members about how quickly to resume in-person classes amid high community spread of COVID-19.
Lowder, a graduate of A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, has worked for Cabarrus County Schools since 1992. He was named regional superintendent of the year in 2018-2019.
Deputy Superintendent Brian Schultz has been named acting superintendent, effective immediately. He was a teacher and principal in Cabarrus schools before leaving to take high-level administrative posts in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Guilford County schools. Schultz returned to Cabarrus County’s administration in 2019.
According to a statement from the district, Lowder was eligible to retire in September but stayed to provide leadership during the pandemic. He will retire effective April 1 and will work as a consultant during the transition in March.
The statement does not say whether the school board plans to search for a permanent superintendent.
