OPELIKA, Ala. - Lee County Schools, the Alabama district that serves Smiths Station, Beulah, Beauregard and Loachapoka, has chosen a superintendent from inside its own central office. The Lee County Board of Education picked Assistant Superintendent Marcus Fuller at its meeting on Tuesday night, Nov. 10, choosing him from three finalists, WTVM reported. Fuller will take over on Jan. 1, following the retirement of Superintendent Mike Howard.

The district posted the news on its website on Nov. 11 under the headline "Lee County Schools Announces New Superintendent, Mr. Marcus Fuller." The district's announcement said, "We are excited to officially welcome Mr. Marcus Fuller as the Superintendent of Lee County Schools." The other two finalists were Kelli Fischer and Dr. Keonn Nettles, and the board interviewed all three on Nov. 9, according to the district's website.

Who Marcus Fuller is

Fuller has served as the district's assistant superintendent of operations since 2014, according to WTVM. In that job he has overseen maintenance, construction, transportation, child nutrition, nursing, capital planning and safety upgrades. Those are the departments that keep buses running, lunches served and buildings open, so he arrives knowing the system's day-to-day machinery.

He brings 29 years of experience in Alabama and Georgia schools, WTVM reported, including time as an elementary school principal in Clayton County, Ga. He holds advanced degrees and administrative certification from Auburn University. "It means the world to me," Fuller told WTVM about his selection.

Why the job came open

Howard announced in September that he would step down effective Dec. 31, 2026, about halfway through the 2026-27 school year, The Observer and CNAW2News reported. In a prepared statement, Howard called the job "a significant honor and a highlight of my 27-year career in education," and he said he wanted to retire and spend more time with family. CNAW2News reported that about two weeks before that announcement, Howard had emailed staff saying he planned to retire at the end of the school year, and it was not clear why the date moved up.

The announcement came eight months after the board had extended Howard's contract through June 2030 at its Jan. 13, 2026, meeting, The Observer reported. Howard was hired from Jacksonville (Ala.) City Schools in late 2023, after earlier leading St. Clair County Schools, and he started in Lee County in January 2024. That gives him a tenure of nearly three years when he leaves at the end of December.

A fast search

In September, board attorney Woody Sanders laid out two options: an accelerated search aiming for a Jan. 1, 2027, start, or a slower search ending with a spring hire, according to The Observer. The board's choice of Fuller in November puts the district on the faster track, with no gap between superintendents. District 3 board member Richard Brown Sr. said in September that he wanted a successor who "intends to stay for more than three years."

Alabama sets minimum qualifications for the post, The Observer reported. Candidates must pass background checks, hold an Alabama certificate in administration and supervision, and have at least five years of public school experience. Alabama does not require superintendents to live in their district, so the board could recruit as far as Georgia and Tennessee, The Observer reported.

What Fuller inherits

The district lists more than 8,600 students from pre-K through 12th grade on 13 campuses, according to its website. Lee County posted the highest state report card score in district history this year, and every school showed measurable improvement, The Observer reported in September. Howard said the district keeps a financial reserve of nearly three months of operating costs.

Recent projects include new and renovated gyms at Loachapoka and Beauregard, a track and football stadium at Beulah, and an IMPACT facility and weight room at Smiths Station, The Observer reported. The district has also added pre-K, including a Smiths Station pre-K facility, plus an alternative school, music, STEM and visual arts programs and new security measures such as metal detectors. Howard also pointed in January to systemwide restructuring, including changes at Smiths Station schools, as a major focus, so Fuller will be guiding work he helped build from the operations side.

A season of turnover across the Valley

Lee County is not the only district near Columbus changing leaders. Russell County Schools in Phenix City began its own superintendent search in November after Superintendent Brenda Coley announced her retirement. In Lee County, Fuller is set to take the top job on Jan. 1, the day after Howard's retirement takes effect. Parents with questions about the transition can follow announcements on the district's website, where the board posts its meeting notices.