Kenneth Burnley, the chief executive officer of the Detroit public schools, will step down from his post when his contract expires on June 30.
Mr. Burnley, who has run the 148,000-student district for five years, decided not to be a candidate for the position of interim schools chief, a job that will involve leading the district as it makes the transition from its current state-appointed school board to an elected board in the fall. The new board will hire a superintendent.
In a statement on his decision, Mr. Burnley said that “much work remains to be done” before he leaves the job, including tough financial decisions to alleviate a $200 million deficit in the district’s $1.5 billion budget. Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has appointed a panel to help the district, which has suffered enrollment losses, make the necessary budget cuts.
