Rockford area superintendent named 2023 Illinois Superintendent of the Year
PJ Caposey, superintendent of the Meridian School District in Ogle County, has been named the 2023 Illinois Superintendent of the Year by the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
Caposey runs a four-school, 1,400-student district in Stillman Valley, about 10 miles south of Rockford.
He's been superintendent there since 2013.
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The award was presented to Caposey Saturday during the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago co-sponsored by the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) and school administrators association.
Nominees for the award are judged based on academic achievement, preparing students for the future, social-emotional support, teaching Nominees are judged on the following criteria: academic achievement, preparing students for the future, social-emotional support, teaching and instruction and leadership.
"I am unabashedly proud of the work we have done, and the turnaround we have created for the kids and community that we serve," Caposey said of the Meridian School District community, Board of Education and leadership team. "I am acutely aware that I have the privilege of receiving this award based on the incredibly hard work of everyone in, and around, our wonderful district."
The Meridian School District has an 89% graduation rate.
Under Caposey, Stillman Valley High School has been recognized as a Top Achieving High School by US News and World Report for six years straight among other achievements.
“Every once and a while you get to be a part of something special,” said John Smith, Meridian School District board president said in a news release. "What we have been able to accomplish in Meridian over the past decade, and the relationships we have been able to build, is something unlike I had ever experienced before. "
The Illinois Association of School Administrators is an advocacy organization for school administrators with about 1,750 members statewide.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford area superintendent named Illinois Superintendent of the Year
