The Sonoma County Office of Education is launching a superintendent training and leadership program in response to the high number of superintendent retirements in recent years.

Eight of Sonoma County’s superintendent posts will be vacant at the end of the school year. That follows six openings that were filled for the current school year.

In light of the spike of new hires to the position of superintendent across the county, Sonoma County schools chief Steve Herrington is set to launch the Sonoma County Executive Leadership Center seminars in August. Individualized coaching will be provided by recently retired superintendents from throughout the region, according to SCOE.

“District superintendents play a key role in developing and maintaining effective schools with high student achievement,” Herrington said in a statement. “This county-supported program is designed to ensure that all of our superintendents have access to a professional system of training and support.”