New superintendents named for Tri-Point, Flanagan-Cornell districts
Tri-Point and Flanagan-Cornell school districts will have new superintendents when the new school year begins on July 1. Both new superintendents were approved by their respective school boards recently.
Tri-Point
KEMPTON — The Tri-Point School Board of Education announced that approved the hiring of Jay Bennett as the new superintendent of Tri-Point Board Unit District 6J at its December School Board meeting.
Current Superintendent Jeff Bryan is retiring after nine years with the school district.
Employed for the past nine years as principal of Tri-Point Upper Elementary/Junior High School in Piper City, Bennett previously spent 13 years teaching junior-high social studies and coaching high-school volleyball in Rantoul.
“The Board of Education is excited that Jay will be our new leader for Tri-Point. Great things are happening in our school district and Mr. Bennett has played a vital role in those changes such standard based grading and implementing a STEM Lab at the junior high," said Board President Cherie Smolkovich. “I’m excited to begin this journey with Mr. Bennett as superintendent. He brings a spirit of teamwork and a commitment to our faculty, staff and students.”
A Thawville native, Bennett graduated from Iroquois West High School in 1995. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in school leadership from the University of Illinois.
The selection is the result of a national search conducted with the assistance of the Illinois Association of School Boards that produced applicants from diverse geographic and professional backgrounds.
Flanagan-Cornell
FLANAGAN — Flanagan-Cornell Unit 74 made it official at its November school board to hire from within as the board unanimously selected Dr. Ryan Hansen as its new superintendent.
Hansen will be replacing Jerry Farris, who actually officially retired and has remained as superintendent until a new hire was made.
“I'm excited to take over for Mr. Farris and serving our two communities and to continue to making this a special place for our students,” Hansen said.
A 2002 graduate of Morris Community High School in 2002, Hansen went on to receive his bachelor's degree from Eureka College and then a master's degree from Eastern Illinois. Most recently, Hansen earned his doctorate from the University of St. Francis.
Hansen first came to the Flanagan-Cornell school district as a teacher in the 2009-10 school year and taught for five years before taking a position at Morris for five years. In 2019, Hansen returned to Flanagan-Cornell as the high school principal.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: New superintendents named for Tri-Point, Flanagan-Cornell districts
