CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – After nearly a decade of service, Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn announced her retirement on Monday, February 6, 2023. Dr. Gibson-Learn said serving as superintendent had been the privilege of her professional life.
“I am enormously grateful for the relationships I have built with the many amazing employees, parents, and students of Jefferson County Schools.”
Dr. Gibson-Learn said that she has been working to balance the needs of the school district with her family's needs, which factored into her decision.
“While the position of a Superintendent has always required significant attention and presence for the job, the intensity of those demands has increased exponentially over the past several years.”
Dr. Gibson-Learn was appointed as Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools in 2015. She leaves the district in a strong position with a state-recognized retention and recruitment plan, two new elementary schools being built, and a successful one-to-one technology initiative. Dr. Gibson-Learn said the real strength of the school system is in the people.
“Jefferson County Schools has an incredible staff, amazing students, and a supportive and engaged community. I can retire knowing that the future is bright for this district.”
Jefferson County Board of Education President Kathryn Skinner thanked Dr. Gibson-Learn for her efforts and dedication.
“Dr. Gibson-Learn built upon the hard work of her predecessors and left us in a better place than when she started,” Skinner said.
Throughout her 32-year career in public education, Dr. Gibson-Learn has served as a classroom teacher at the elementary and secondary levels, a provider of mental health services, a director of workforce development, and an education administrator at the county and state levels.
Dr. Gibson-Learn’s retirement is effective June 30, 2023. The Board will meet to determine how they will search for a new Superintendent.