Cobb County Schools superintendent to step down

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) The superintendent of one of Georgia's largest school systems is stepping down.

The Marietta Daily Journal reports that Cobb County Schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is retiring and moving back to Texas after May 31.

Hinojosa told the Cobb County school board of his plans during its meeting Monday night.

Hinojosa said he plans to accept a "very lucrative position" as a senior vice president of a Chicago-based national education consulting firm. He said he plans to return to his home in Dallas where he can spend time with his family.

Board Chairwoman Kathleen Angelucci said the news was unanticipated and she was not sure what the next step would be in hiring a new superintendent. Angelucci said Hinojosa told the board he was retiring just before Monday's meeting began.

Hinojosa's announcement came less than a week after he was criticized for the districts response to last week's winter snow storm. A number of children wound up spending the night in Cobb County schools when they were stranded. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Hinojosa, said his timing had nothing to do with that criticism.