The leave was granted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act during a special board meeting.
Gotcher formally requested a leave of absence based on the diagnosis from his doctors, according to the release. A district spokesperson was not authorized to say whether or not Gotcher had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Board of Education named Jeff Holt as the acting superintendent. Holt will be making decisions and managing all day-to-day operations for the district.
Gotcher says he is âlooking forward to returning in full health as Superintendent of the Russellville School District.â