Fayette County school superintendent postpones retirement

Fayette County’s school superintendent will have a summer session of sorts after agreeing to delay his retirement.

The Board of Education met in a called executive session last week, after which Chairman Scott Hollowell announced that Joseph Barrow Jr. had agreed to the board’s request to extend his tenure past June 30, the original date of his planned retirement. The board finalized the proposal with a 5-0 vote.

Hollowell said the board will continue to accept applications for Barrow’s successor through May 23, but Barrow will remain on the job for several more months to help plan the next school year, whose scheduled start on Aug. 3 may be in question due to COVID-19. Barrow said, “I promise to do my very best to guide us through these uncertain times.”