After seven years as the superintendent of the Jefferson City School District, Larry Linthacum has retired to take on a new position as the head of Special Olympics Missouri.
Linthacum's last day with the district was Thursday, and he will begin with Special Olympics on July 18.
Linthacum said he left things in better shape in those seven years, though there's still more work to be done.
One point of celebration, he said, is the graduation rate, which has increased since he first came to the district and which he expects to top 90 percent this year.
He's also proud of how the district passed a bond issue to build Capital City High School, an increased participation rate in extracurricular activities, keeping the school open during COVID-19, higher test scores and that Nichols Career Center's placement rate exceeds the state average.
He said those things are the result of a team effort to "raise the bar."
"We've got many difference-makers in the district that make an impact on our kids' lives every day, and collectively ... we're working toward something greater than ourselves," he said.
Before joining the Jefferson City school district as superintendent in 2015, Linthacum worked as the superintendent of Maryville R-2 for four years and the South Harrison R-2 district in his hometown of Bethany for three years. He was also the director of North Central Career Center in that district and a teacher and coach in golf, basketball and football. He began his teaching career in Jefferson City as a high school business teacher in 1995.
In his time at Jefferson City Schools, Linthacum has often reminded people to be "stronger together."
He said the district is stronger together today than when he first came to the district, and he has been happy to help "facilitate" that.
"Collectively, overarching, I think we are stronger together, but there's still room to grow, and we know that, and I'm excited about the future of the district going forward to continue building on that," he said.
"There's room for growth in many areas. Our graduation rate -- we're going to be above the state average at over 90 percent -- well, there's still kids that are not graduating in four years even though we've made improvements," he said. "There's still kids that are not reading at grade level, and so those are just a couple examples of there are opportunities going forward for growth."
Linthacum said the next superintendent, former Deputy Superintendent Bryan McGraw, brings plenty of experience with him to the role. McGraw previously spent 11 years as superintendent of North Pocono School District outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
"My advice, keep plugging," Linthacum said, adding McGraw should be prepared for speedbumps along the way.
"The district's in good shape, I believe, with Bryan leading, and I'm excited about that for Bryan and the future for our community to keep moving forward," he said.
At Special Olympics Missouri, Linthacum said he plans to meet with folks and figure out how things stand. He hopes Missouri's Special Olympics program can be a premier organization in the nation.
Linthacum said he'll be focused on making sure people with intellectual disabilities have opportunities and making sure quality programs are provided.
"It tugs at my heart," Linthacum said of Special Olympics. "...The opportunities that it provides for students and adults with intellectual disabilities at the end of the day of giving everyone hope, and I think that they have their hearts in the right place," he said.
He added he wants to create opportunities for all to know they are valued and important.