Welcome to Jefferson Elementary School!

Meet Our Principals!

My name is Rob Ulm and I am the Principal at Jefferson Elementary School. This will be my 17th year at JES, serving as Principal for 11 years and Assistant Principal for the 6 years prior. I grew up in Noble, Illinois attending West Richland Schools, and then attended Olney Central College receiving an associate degree before transitioning to Eastern Illinois University. While at EIU, I earned my bachelor's degree in Physical Education with a minor in History. Before coming back to Charleston, I taught for four years in the Robinson School District. My first four years in CUSD #1 were at Charleston Middle School as a Health & Physical Education teacher. As a teacher at CMS, I coached many sports including baseball, basketball, and track at CMS along with girls' cross country at CHS. My wife and our 3 children have all attended the Charleston School District for their entire school careers. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with family and running the local trails in Coles County. At Jefferson, our goals involve growth for every student both academically and emotionally. We want to prepare them for success as they transition from 4th grade to 6th grade in anticipation of their move to their next levels of learning in the Charleston School District.'

Hello! My name is Jeff Marlo, and I am the Assistant Principal at Jefferson Elementary School. This year is my fourth at JES and I am grateful to work with such a wonderful group of students and staff! I grew up Marion, IL and earned my Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. I began teaching Social Studies at Marion High School in 2006. My wife and I are both educators and her pursuits took us to Pocatello, Idaho, where I taught at Century High School. Eastern Illinois University brought us back to our home state and we have been enjoyed calling Charleston our home since 2012. I taught in the History Department at Charleston High School before moving to JES and enjoyed coaching high school soccer in all three districts. Since moving to Charleston, I earned my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, completing that degree in 2015. On top of my educational career, I spent over five years in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 2007 I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with my wife, son, dog, and cat playing board games and video games, spending time outside, camping, and sharing lots of laughter. I really enjoy being part of our team at JES. My hope is that the students and staff of JES will remember that “we are in this together,” and that we can help make each day better for one another. We want our students to be successful academically, socially, and emotionally while here and strive to create the best opportunity for that success. Welcome to Jefferson!