Putnam County School System has named Becky White as the new principal of VITAL School, effective following the retirement announcement of current principal Shannon Pirtle.

White, who has served as Assistant Principal and RTI/Student Success Coordinator at VITAL, brings 27 years of educational experience to the role.

“Becky White brings a wealth of experience, compassion, and a strong commitment to student success to her new role as principal of VITAL School,” said Putnam County Director of Schools Corby King. “She understands the importance of meeting students where they are, building strong relationships, and creating an environment where every student has the opportunity to succeed. We are excited to welcome Becky into this leadership role and are confident that her vision and dedication will continue the tradition of excellence at VITAL. I look forward to seeing the positive impact she will make on our students, staff, and families.”

VITAL School provides students with high-quality, flexible, technology-based educational opportunities that allow them to maximize their potential. VITAL also focuses specifically on flexible online and technology-based learning, providing access to courses through a virtual learning model.

White’s journey with VITAL began when the school first expanded to include third grade, initially serving as a lead teacher before transitioning into administrative and student support leadership roles.

“I'm thrilled and excited,” said White. “I’ve helped grow the program to what it is right now. My vision for VITAL is no different from what it has been as an assistant principal. I think that we’ve been going in a really good direction. As a team, we come together and talk about what’s working and what’s not, and we’ve built those processes around that. I just want to keep moving us in the right direction.”

White holds three degrees from Tennessee Tech. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1999, a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction in 2006, and an Instructional Leadership ED.S in 2008. Her teaching career began 27 years ago in Van Buren County, where she taught middle school science for 13 years. She later joined Putnam County Schools, serving as an elementary teacher at Baxter Elementary and Cornerstone Elementary. In addition to her school-level leadership, White has served as a District Personalized Learning Coach, helping implement and facilitate personalized learning frameworks across Putnam County.

Reflecting on the strong culture within VITAL, White emphasized the close-knit environment that defines the school's community.

“We have an awesome team. The culture we've built is very supportive of each other, our students, and our families. We are family—we truly are VITAL,” White added.

One of White’s immediate priorities will be selecting a new assistant principal to fill her previous role.

“That’s going to be one of my first tasks,” White explained. “We’ll post the position soon, take applicants, and hopefully find someone who is very complementary to me.”

White officially takes over as principal at the conclusion of Putnam County’s fall break in October.