New Superintendent appointed to Logan County Schools, board members say they were left in the dark.

Logan County will see new leadership at the Board of Education beginning November 1st. State Superintendent Michele Blatt has appointed Dr. Sonya White as the new permanent superintendent, replacing George Aulenbacher. The change marks the county’s third superintendent in as many years since the state took control of the school system in 2022.

LOGAN Logan County Superintedent George Aullenbacher is out and a new superintendent will be taking the helm effective November first.

According to a press release from the West Virginia State Board of Education, State School Superintendent Michele Blatt has appointed Dr. Sonya White “as the permanent County Superintendent in Logan.”

Permanent is a term that has eluded Logan County Schools since the state intervened with a takeover of the school system in 2022. Dr. White makes the third super appointed to Logan in as many years. Moreover, the appointment makes the third super in the county this year alone.

Logan County Board member Pat Joe White said the announcement was a surprise to him.

“Totally,” White said, “you know, unexpected. I knew nothing about it and from my understanding, I don't think anyone else did.”

Board President Tony Dean told WVOW News that he thought Aulenbacher was the permanent super in Logan.

“Yeah, that was my understanding as well, is that he was our permanent superintendent,” Dean said. “The only thing i can tell you from my perspective is the board members are going to continue to do what we need to do in support of the kids, in support of their education. We're going to continue to do what we need to do to regain local control regardless of the players in positions in the central office.We're going to continue going about the business of board members doing what we're supposed to do. We’ll just go from there and take it day by day and see how this plays out.”

Previously, Dr Sonya White served as Deputy State Superintendent of Schools since 2023.

“I am so grateful for the work, passion and expertise Dr. White has contributed during her time at the Department of Education. She has been instrumental in implementing the Third Grade Success Act and increasing student achievement,” said Superintendent Michele Blatt. “Dr. White brings more than 38 years of deep knowledge to the county, with a dedicated focus on ensuring that our students and staff are fully supported and provided the resources to succeed. We know that her leadership and passion for public education will bring positive change to the school system and community.”

“I am honored to serve the students, staff and families of Logan County Schools,” White said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the school and extended community to ensure we support a transparent and efficient educational system that provides our most valuable citizens – our students – every opportunity to succeed. Our children deserve the best education available so they can achieve their dreams, and much of that is rooted in our public schools. I am thankful for the continued support of the WVDE and Superintendent Blatt as I transition to this important role in Logan County.”

The change mid stream comes as the school system is set for a public hearing on potentially closing Verdunville Elementary permanently. That hearing is scheduled for November 18^th at the Conference Center at Chief Logan State Park.

No reason was given for the sudden change. Calls to Aulenbacher’s office were not returned. There was no mention of a imminent change in leadership during Tuesday evening’s board meeting at Three Mile Curve.

In fact, Superintendent Aulenbacher honored several students for academic and atheletic accomplishments.

Certificates were given to members of the Chapmanville Regional High School and Logan High School golf teams for making the state golf tournament in Wheeling earlier this month.

“What a great honor,” Aulenbacher told the packed board room. “Some kids spend their whole entire life participating in a sport and never have the opportunity to be part of a state championship.”

Students recognized from Logan include : Crew Blankenship, Adex Martin, Kevin Farmer, and Alton Ellis. Students recognized from Chapmanville include: Issac Walters, Gavin Stollings, Zeke Tiller, Cooper Evans, Cameron Wooten.

The super also took time to acknowledge the accomplishments of three students for their SAT scores.

“When I started here in Logan County, one of the first things I looked at was just academic achievement across the board,” Aulenbacher said. “We have kids that are very talented and do a lot of things around our county. First and foremost, we need to stay focused on the classroom and focused on academics. You can leverage a talent on the field, on the golf course, or on the track. What you do in the classroom really kinda defines what you’re going to do when you go through life.”

The Logan County Board of Education recognize each student scored the highest School Day SAT for their respective high schools. The students qualified for The Promise Scholarship in their junior year.

Man : James Eperly

Logan: Trinity Mcdevit

Chapmanville : Luke Saunders

During the Superintendent’s report, Aulenbacher said every county superintendent receives an approval status and accreditation report from the State Superintendent .

According to the Aulenbacher, attendance, post secondary achievement, math achievement and “on-track to graduate” are areas that need additional support.

Last year, about 43% of the Logan County students were chronically absent. Aulenbacher said each month Holy Avenue has been sharing with principals their school’s chronic absentee rate and noting where improvements can be made. Logan County currently has an absence rate of around 33%.

Aulenbacher said the upcoming job fair with Logan County Schools on November seventh may help with math achievement. He said the Logan has struggled with recruiting math teachers. The fair will be at the Chief Logan Conference Center from one to four o’clock.

He said the “on track to graduate” is a measure of the sophomores and the credits they need to graduate. Logan has a well over 90% graduation rate and the number of credits needed in the tenth grade can be an early indicator of upcoming graduation rates. He also said that the Central Office is working with the directors of Child Nutrition, Facilities and Transportation to address deficiencies outlined in the report as well.

PHOTO | A.M. Stone