At the November 16th meeting of the Bolivar School Board, Dr. Richard Asbill, Superintendent of Bolivar Schools, announced that he will retire at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. The school board approved his retirement.
Dr. Asbill has served as the Superintendent of Bolivar Schools for the past three school years. The Bolivar School Board thanked Dr. Asbill for his knowledge and guidance of the school district during his time as superintendent.
“Dr. Asbill has provided outstanding leadership of the Bolivar R-1 district by focusing on operations, finances, academics, and activity/athletic priorities,” said Paula Hubbert, President of the Bolivar School Board. “He demonstrated a leadership style that utilizes two paths to improvement: expectations and accountability. His leadership through the Liberator 2025 campaign and his day-to-day knowledge of the best practices in education have lifted our district to a new level of professionalism and academic achievement. He and his family have become valued members of our school community. We wish them the best and thank them for investing their time and talent in Bolivar.”
Dr. Asbill’s school finance expertise was instrumental in making several large school district projects a reality, including increased school safety and security, the FEMA gym, and the beginning phases of Liberator Park.
“This decision allows me to focus on my family and look at the next opportunity that God has planned for our family,” said Dr. Asbill. “It's been an honor to be part of Bolivar R-1 and a privilege to be a Liberator. We still have work ahead of us, goals to achieve, and efforts to move Bolivar R-1 towards a better future. My focus will be to continue working with our Board, administration, and school community to focus on our priorities needed for Bolivar R-1 to deliver students’ and parents’ increased opportunities needed for tomorrow.”
“We will begin a nationwide search for Dr. Asbill’s successor immediately with the hopes of having that person selected no later than February,” added Hubbert. The Bolivar School Board has voted to use the resources of the Missouri School Boards’ Association to assist in the search.