Columbia Public Schools superintendent to retire months after announcing cancer diagnosis

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The top administrator in Columbia Public Schools plans to retire.

CPS spokesperson Michelle Baumstark wrote in a statement Friday that Brian Yearwood has decided to step down immediately to spend time with family in Texas. The Columbia Board of Education unanimously accepted his retirement request.

Former superintendent Chris Belcher has agreed to be interim superintendent through the end of the school year. Belcher was the top person at CPS for five years before he retired in 2014 and was key to helping the district plan for long-term growth amid fast population growth.

Yearwood will relinquish the superintendent job Friday but stay with CPS in an advisory role through the end of the year.

"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Board of Education for its trust and support during my time as Superintendent. I will remain committed to collaborating with you in ensuring that Columbia Public Schools remains on its current trajectory of growth and innovation," Yearwood wrote in a letter announcing his retirement.

The Board of Education will now start a job search for a new superintendent.

Yearwood announced in August that he had been diagnosed with cancer. That diagnosis was not mentioned in his letter.

Yearwood was hired in 2021. He was under contract through June 2027, making about $260,000 per year. He took over for Dr. Peter Stiepleman.

Yearwood's tenure has largely been defined by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. He shepherded the district through closures, remote learning and mask requirements and has been tasked with building attendance back up in the pandemic's aftermath.