Vilardo Selected as Next Charleston Superintendent

Todd Vilardo has been chosen as the next superintendent of the Charleston Unit #1 School District.

Vilardo will take the superintendent's reins effective July 1, 2017. He was hired by the Charleston school board Wednesday night and was given a three-year contract. 

(TODD VILARDO)

In his 25 years in education, Vilardo has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, athletic director, summer school director, principal and assistant superintendent. He will succeed Jim Littleford, who will retire after the coming school year, having served as Charleston superintendent for nine years.

Littleford said of the hiring, "I am thrilled. Todd is a superb young man and will be a great superintendent for the Charleston district."

Coles County has been home base throughout his career for the Knoxville, Illinois native. Vilardo began his career as a coach in Oakland High School in 1991. He then served as a teacher and coach for eight years and for seven years as assistant principal at Charleston High School. In 2006, Vilardo began a principalship at Mattoon Middle School, but returned to Charleston as assistant superintendent in 2008.

Charleston board members Wednesday also approved a three-year contract with the Charleston Education Association. Littleford said the first year involves a hard freeze for teachers, meaning no increase in pay as districts try to figure out what funding they will receive from Springfield. The second and third years involve a soft freeze, meaning teachers will receive increases based on their seniority as built into the salary schedule, but no additional increase.