St. Cloud Superintendent Dr. Laurie Putnam Named National ‘Superintendent to Watch’

(KNSI) — St. Cloud Area School District Superintendent Dr. Laurie Putnam has been named a “Superintendent to Watch” by the National School Public Relations Association.

According to a press release, NSPRA selected Putnam as one of 30 school leaders nationwide for the 2025-26 honor, which recognizes “innovative superintendents in their first five years for outstanding leadership in fostering meaningful, two-way communication and strengthening community engagement.”

“These leaders understand that communication is not just about sharing information. It is about building relationships,” said NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter.

Putnam’s nomination “highlighted her commitments to academic excellence and belonging, inclusive participation, innovation, collaboration, community engagement and transparent, strategic communication.”

NSPRA received 66 nominations this year. Since 2015, the organization has recognized more than 200 school district leaders as Superintendents to Watch, several of whom later became their state’s Superintendent of the Year. That list includes Dr. Putnam who was chosen as Minnesota’s 2025 Superintendent of the Year.

The honorees will be formally recognized at the NSPRA 2026 National Seminar in New Orleans in July.

St. Cloud Area School District serves nearly 10,000 students across nine communities in central Minnesota.

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