Boise superintendent Lisa Roberts announced she plans to retire at the end of June.

Her announcement came at the end of a regular Monday, Jan. 12, school board meeting.

Roberts stepped into the superintendent role in June of 2024, making this her second year of superintendency after more than three decades in education. At the time she was hired,  she told the board she intended to stay for at least four years.

Fewer students, which comes with less state funding, is an issue in Boise, where enrollment has been on a steady decline for at least 11 years. The district also has faced a rash of lawsuits and settlements related to Gavin Snow, a former special education assistant at two Boise elementary schools. Snow died by suicide in January, taking his life as Boise police attempted to arrest him on child sexual abuse charges.

Roberts said she is excited to retire alongside her husband and “discover new adventures,” in a press release distributed after the board meeting. He is a principal in the Boise School District.

Boise trustees will convene for a special board meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, to determine their next steps.

Boise usually hires superintendents from within — Roberts was such a hire, stepping up from her position as a deputy superintendent. “She was the only person we interviewed,” board president Dave Wagers said at the time of her hiring. She replaced Coby Dennis, also an in-house hire.

Wagers said the idea of the district grooming its leaders and hiring from within is by design.

Currently, Nick Smith is the Boise district’s deputy superintendent of operations.

Roberts began her education career by spending five years as an elementary teacher. She went on to become an assistant principal and a principal before moving into district leadership.

She is the only woman to lead the district in its almost 160-year history.