SCOTT: Blankenship announces plan to retire December 2025
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By JESSICA BROWN
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Dr. Kevin Blankenship announced December 12th that he will retire as dual Superintendent for Bluffs and Winchester in December 2025.
Winchester Community Unit School District #1 and Scott-Morgan Community #2 will be seeing a change of hands in leadership in a little more than a year. The two West Central Illinois districts currently share Dr. Kevin Blankenship as their Superintendent, who will be retiring from that position at the end of December 2025.
In a letter posted online December 12th, Blankenship stated that it was with mixed emotions that he was making the decision to step down after spending over a decade as Bluffs Superintendent in 2012. He broadened his responsibilities to replace Dave Roberts as Winchester’s Superintendent in 2019. Blankenship, who began his career as a teacher, was named 2020 Illinois Superintendent of the Year by the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
The announcement will allow for a year’s notice in order to find a replacement for the position. “Right now, we don’t believe the two districts are interested in sharing the next Superintendent,” said Winchester School Board President Steven Moore at the last Board meeting, but added that much more discussion would need to be had by both school districts. According to his public statement Blankeship said a transition is already underway and more information about the process of selecting his replacement will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
He assured the public that he will remain fully committed to his service and work for the schools throughout December 2025, citing the amount of work still to be done. That includes overseeing renovations plans at Winchester High School which will be underway in the near future.
