Mingo, Fayette Counties Get New Superintendents

When the state takes over a county, they appoint a new superintendent, but, like many in the education field, those superintendents are drawing closer and closer to retirement.

Both Mingo and Fayette counties are losing their superintendents in the next few months and at their meeting Wednesday the state Board of Education took action to replace them.

In Mingo County, board members appointed Robert Bobbera, the county’s current assistant superintendent to take the head position.

Bobbera has worked under current Superintendent Randy Keathley for four years, but has been in Mingo County working as a teacher, counselor and administrator for more than 30.

Mingo County was taken over in 2005, but Bobbera said it is making progress and in his time as superintendent, he plans to keep that momentum going.

“Our schools are just phenomenal, our folks are phenomenal and I just want to keep that moving forward,” he said after the board’s unanimous approval.

In Fayette County, Serena Starcher will soon move from the position of associate superintendent of administration to interim county superintendent for six months.

Starcher began as a teacher in Putnam County, worked for the state Department of Education and then moved into her associate superintendent position seven years ago.

Over her short term, Stacher said she wants to focus on amending the county’s facilities plan, a crucial part of regaining local control.

“Fayette County and the citizens there and the staff, we long for a return of local control,” she said Wednesday, “so over the next six months I just hope to further our vision of returning [that] control.”

Both Bobbera and Starcher will take their new positions as county superintendents before the start of the next school year.