Putnam County Announces New Superintendent

Image courtesy of the Putnam County Record
Putnam County School District has found its new superintendent.

On Feb. 16, following a closed session of the Putnam County School Board meeting, the board announced the selection of Carl Carlson as its next superintendent.

Carlson was offered a one-year contract. He is currently serving as the assistant principal and athletic director of Putnam County High School. Before that, he was the principal of Putnam County Junior High.

Current Superintendent Jay McCracken will be retiring at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, and Carlson will take over on July 1.

"Carl and I will be working closely together throughout the remainder of the school year. He will be involved in the district budget meetings, negotiations, hiring of new personnel, and curriculum planning," McCracken said. "Our district has a strong administrative team, excellent staff and outstanding board of education. Collectively we will all work together to create a smooth transition. As always, our focus will remain on our kids in the Putnam County district."

The search process was performed by Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), and they presented 26 viable candidates for the position. The board interviewed the finalists and conducted a site visit with some of those candidates before ultimately promoting from within and choosing Carlson.

"I totally trust in the board's decision in hiring Carl Carlson as our next superintendent. He is enthusiastic and understands the wonderful Putnam County community. Carl has been a vital part of the fine work in our district during the past eight years, and I am confident that our students will remain the top priority in all decisions in the district," said McCracken.

Source: Putnam County Record