Burke County names new school superintendent | News

MORGANTON, NC (WBTV) – In a unanimous vote Tuesday evening, the Burke County Board of Education names Larry Putnam as the new superintendent of public schools. Putnam has been serving as interim superintendent since Dr. Art Stellar was bought out of his contract last August. The board's superintendent search committee interviewed dozens of applicants and took feedback from more than 800 people in the county during the process of making a selection.

Putnam, 45, has been with the school system since 1995 when he began as a teacher. He has served in various administrative positions and school board members said he fit what they were looking for a in a new superintendent. "We didn't want to start from scratch," said Board Member Edna Weller. "We wanted someone who knew Burke County and had a track record of working with people in the school system.

Putnam is the third superintendent in three years for Burke County. Popular superintendent David Burleson was ousted and bought out in June, 2009 and Dr. Stellar was hired two months later. That fall the majority block on the board that fired Burleson and hired Stellar was ousted in the general election.

Putnam said he was relieved the hiring process was over. He signed a contract that goes through June 2015 and has a base annual salary of $140,000.