Minneapolis South High School's principal has stepped down, about a month following reassignment after failing to obtain a state-approved license.

In an e-mail to families Monday, Associate Superintendent Shawn Harris-Berry said Brett Stringer decided to "relinquish his leadership role at South" and Steve Simondet will continue as South's interim principal for the remainder of the school year. A search for a new principal will begin in the spring.

Simondet was named interim principal last month when Stringer was reassigned to work as an administrator on special assignment at the school district's main office. Stringer's provisional license, granted in July 2019, lapsed this past summer.

In a Sept. 20 letter to the board of school administrators, Stringer asked for a one-year extension and said he was enrolled in courses to earn the license.

Minneapolis Public Schools withdrew the request for a license waiver for Stringer on Sunday night, said Tony Kinkel, executive director of the Minnesota Board of School Administrators. That board was set to rule on the request at its Monday meeting.

Documents posted for the board's licensing committee suggested the committee didn't strongly support the request, Kinkel said.

A spokeswoman for Minneapolis Public Schools declined to comment further, saying the matter was still being "resolved internally."