Tasha Potter named next Penfield schools superintendent

The Penfield school board Monday announced Tasha Potter as its next superintendent.

Potter is currently the assistant superintendent for equity and access, a position she has held since 2021. Before that she was the director of diversity and equity planning for Monroe-1 BOCES and an administrator in the Greece Central School District.

"The Penfield Central School District has a strong educational foundation that I look forward to continuing to strengthen," she said in a statement. "Together we will provide learning environments that prioritize excellence, rigorous instruction, high expectations, and success for all students."

Potter replaces Thomas Putnam, who is leaving the district to become superintendent at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES. The transition was a fast one: Putnam's departure was not announced to the general public until July 10, when at the same moment the school board said it already had a tentative successor in place.

"We felt this would help ensure a smooth transition in the superintendency and maintain stability for the district," Board President Emily Roberts said in a statement. "We also felt it was fiscally responsible to avoid the expense of conducting an outside search when we already had a very strong leader in the district."

Potter will begin on the job Sept. 1. The board still needs to formally approve her appointment at a meeting July 18, but the press release said the seven board members unanimously agree on her as the next leader.