The search will soon be on for a new Escambia County Schools superintendent.

Superintendent David Little has announced his June 30 retirement for the position he’s held since December 2011; however, that retirement might be short-lived as he has qualified for county school board District 1 seat. The school board is expected to accept Little’s formal resignation at its Thursday meeting at Turtle Point Environmental Center.

Little, who will complete the terms of his contract, said Tuesday that the reason for his impending retirement is “simple.”

“I’m completing 42 years in public education – it’s that simple,” Little said. “Being superintendent is a position that I have enjoyed tremendously. It’s been an excellent experience. The board and I have an excellent working relationship, and when (current current seat holder) Michael Goolsby decided to not seek re-election, I decided it was an opportunity I wanted to take.”

Little has qualified as a Republican. When asked why he wanted to make the transition to public office, Little said, “(The system) has a lot of new initiatives that we’ve undertaken. I want to maintain a continuity of experience on the board as (Goolsby) has been an invaluable school board member since the late 1990s.”

A native of Vicksburg, Miss., Little earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Delta State University and completed his education specialist degree at Auburn University. He retired from the Mississippi school system in 1999, and he and his family relocated to Escambia County in 1999 when he was named W.S.Neal High School assistant principal. In 2006, Little was named the system’s assistant superintendent and superintendent in December 2011.

In the June primary, Little will face Republicans Debbie McDonald Quarles and Kevin Hoomes. No Democrats qualified for the seat.