District selects Dr. Paul Hillyer to be interim superintendent for the 2023-2024 school year
The South Umpqua School District Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Dr. Paul Hillyer has been selected as the district’s next Superintendent effective on July 1, 2023. Dr. Hillyer and the Board are working on the terms of a tentative agreement which will be finalized at a public meeting on April 19, 2023.
The South Umpqua School Board chose three finalists from an extensive list of potential interim superintendents. After conducting interviews and reference checks the Board made their final selection. “Dr. Paul Hillyer emerged as the top candidate to be our next Superintendent,” Board Chair Jeff Johnson said. “He has a proven record of success, leading the Klamath Falls City School District for many years. The Board is very excited to welcome Dr. Hillyer to the South Umpqua family. His strong background in curriculum, with a focus on student achievement, along with his impressive experience as a long-term Superintendent will be the perfect fit in the coming year while the Board launches another search for a permanent Superintendent in the fall.”
Dr. Hillyer has worked as an educator for 42 years, most recently as the superintendent of the Klamath Falls City School District from 2010 until his retirement in 2021. Prior to serving in Klamath Falls, Dr. Hillyer was the superintendent of Columbus Public Schools in Columbus, Nebraska from 2005-2010. Dr. Hillyer received his PH.D in Educational Administration from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He has a strong background in curriculum and instruction as well as a track record of being an innovative leader.
“I am very excited to work with the staff at SUSD to help all students find success as learners and as people,” said Dr. Hillyer. “The mission of SUSD, of unlocking the potential of each student, is one that establishes a great purpose for our work. People have told me how dedicated and talented the team is in SUSD. Because of this, I am confident that the 2023-24 school year will be one of great growth and opportunity for our young people. In the coming days, I look forward to meeting each of you and hearing your thoughts and ideas on how to help our youth thrive. My wife of 43 years, Mari Jane, and I have five boys who are now all young men on their own individual life journeys. We have learned a great deal about children through doing the best we know in raising them. They were great teachers for us!”