“There are going to be some challenges, replacing the two top people with school opening within a couple of months and all the planning that needs to take place in the summer,” said Del. Carolyn J.B. Howard (D-Prince George’s), who helps track education for the county’s state House delegation. Howard said she expects there to be a “void, but it will work out. It always does.”

School board Chair Verjeana M. Jacobs (District 5) said the board will seek to ensure a smooth transition.

The board said last week that an interim superintendent will be named within weeks and that, at that time, it will announce plans to work with the community on a process for selecting Hite’s successor.

“I feel very confident that we’ll put a proper transition in place and move forward,” Jacobs said. “That’s what we have to do.”