St. Cloud superintendent gets top state honor

ST. CLOUD – Superintendent Laurie Putnam, who has been at the helm of St. Cloud’s increasingly diverse school district since 2022, has been named the 2025 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year.

The honor, recently announced by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, puts Putnam in play for the national title, as well.

Before starting as superintendent, Putnam served as assistant superintendent for three years, as well as a counselor, assistant principal and principal in the central-Minnesota school district.

“Her visionary leadership, dedication to equity and inclusion, and commitment to student success have transformed St. Cloud Area Schools and left a lasting impact on the entire community,” said Deb Henton, executive director at the association. “Dr. Putnam’s efforts to foster a collaborative, inclusive learning environment inspire educational leaders across the state.”

In a news release, Henton cited several factors considered by a panel of representatives from educational organizations in the state, including Putnam’s work to dismantle systemic inequities within the district, find innovative funding solutions and involve the community in education.

In recent years, the district has partnered with community organizations to implement “Grow Your Own” programs to increase staff diversity — which is important because the demographics have shifted dramatically in the district in the past 15 or so years. Students of color comprise a majority of district enrollment and, compared with surrounding districts, St. Cloud has higher percentages of students in poverty, who are homeless, enrolled in special education or who do not speak English as their first language.

“In Greater Minnesota, where only 1.2% of the teacher pool are people of color, St. Cloud Area Schools has achieved 8.5% representation among teachers and 21.6% of administrators identifying as people of color,” the release states. “This focus on representation has fostered a more inclusive and welcoming school environment, where students see themselves reflected in their educators and feel a greater sense of belonging.”

Under Putnam’s leadership, the district also received $7 million in grants to turn two schools into full-service “community schools” that provide additional arts activities and after-school programs for kids, as well as health care, financial counseling and career services for families. The program rolls out in January.

Henton also cites Putnam’s efforts to better engage the community in district efforts. Putnam said she’s proud of the recently unveiled “Future 100″ initiative that will help seniors chart a course after high school by applying to college, meeting with military recruiters or connecting with local employers by the end of October each year. The district is partnering with St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud Technical & Community College, College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, and several area businesses for the initiative.

“The ways we and our staff and this community are able to take down some of those traditional [barriers] and really collaborate to change things for our kids is, I think, remarkable — and something that is not happening everywhere,” Putnam said.

Another initiative in the works is a partnership with United Way and the local startup Impacks that will raise money to eliminate school supply lists for students in preschool through grade 5.

“I mean, if 73 percent of our families can’t afford food, why are we asking them to buy colored pencils?” Putnam asked. “We’re getting that initiative off the ground and I’m really confident this community will come through for our kids.”

The National Superintendent of the Year will be announced in March.