Hillsboro School District Superintendent Mike Scott is retiring at the end of the school year.
Scott, who has been the Hillsboro superintendent for 14 years, announced his retirement at the Nov. 15 school board meeting. In a letter posted on the school district’s website, he said it was a difficult decision because he loves what he does, but he felt “the time is right.”
School Board Chair Mark Watson said the announcement may have been a surprise for the public but Watson had let district leadership know so they could start planning. The board is beginning its search process already and hopes to have a candidate by the end of April.
The board for Oregon’s fourth-largest district is using a search firm. Scott has committed himself to helping with the transition.
“His integrity and dedication to the district are without compare,” Watson said. “We were lucky to have him for the time we had.”
School board member Nancy Thomas said the announcement was emotional. She said Scott is an “inspiring” leader and his work the past few years has been “pretty close to miraculous.”
“He has left the district in an incredibly strong state despite what it has been through,” she said.
Scott has served in the Oregon public school system for more than 30 years, moving through the ranks from classroom teacher. He was the 2003 Oregon Middle School Principal of the Year. He is a past president of the Oregon Middle Level Association and was awarded Oregon State University College of Education’s Trendsetter Award.
