WASHINGTON — The superintendent of the Howard County public schools is stepping down after five years.

Renee Foose made the announcement after a closed-door meeting of the county Board of Education on Tuesday afternoon.

In her announcement, Foose mentioned that Howard County is the top-rated school district in Maryland. “I want to thank the students in the Howard County Public School System and their families for your strong support of our public schools,” she said. “I also want to thank the public officials in Howard County who supported my tenure as superintendent and supported continued excellence in the Howard County Public School System.”

The school board said in a statement it’s “grateful” for Foose’s leadership.

In January, Foose sued the school board, accusing the members of creating “chaos and uncertainty.” School board members said at the time that they were simply trying to increase transparency.

There was no mention of the suit in Tuesday’s statements.

Michael Martirano will serve as acting superintendent.