Superintendent Hill

Congratulations to Superintendent Saundra Hill for being named the 2013 Superintendent of the Year by Washington Association of School Administrators on Nov. 15.

Now in her eleventh year as superintendent, Hill has helped the Pasco School District realize innovative solutions in key areas such as STEM education, student growth, while placing special emphasis on Pasco's English language learners (ELL) and bilingual programs, which has resulted in narrowing the achievement gap. During her tenure, Pasco students have also seen significant gains in reading, math, and writing.

Educating and involving the community is as important to Hill as educating Pasco's children. Parents, Pasco citizens, and community partners are involved with the district's Improvement Plan process, contribute ideas to solving the Pasco growth challenges, participate in district bus tours, and volunteer in classrooms. Hill has also played an instrumental role in developing Test Chats-a strategy that measures student achievement data and provides teachers with critical feedback.   She also led the initiative for Pasco to become a member of Johns Hopkins University's National Network for Partnership Schools which has named Pasco as one of the top national programs each year for the past seven years.

From Superintendent Hill:

I am deeply honored to have been selected as Washington's 2013 Superintendent of the Year. However, this award belongs to the entire Pasco community. It is recognition of the many years of passionate work and innovation by teachers, support staff, principals, and other administrators that have resulted in improved student achievement. It is recognition of our employees who get our kids to school and home safely, provide them with nutritious meals, and see that they are taught in schools that are safe and well maintained. It is recognition of our outstanding school board whose members have truly been my partners over the past ten years. And finally, it is recognition of our Pasco community where parents, patrons, and voters have consistently supported our schools and believe so strongly in education for everyone.

Hill will be a finalist for the National Superintendent of the Year award, which will be announced in February.

Tom Hitt is the Pasco School District's Internal Controls Accountant and a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is currently serving his third deployment and is stationed in Kuwait.

Whether he's prepping soldiers heading into Afghanistan, or prepping financial statements for the Pasco School District, Tom Hitt knows the importance of teamwork.

A Major with the U.S. Army Reserves, Hitt is currently serving his third deployment and is stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, where he'll be for the next nine months. Along with two others on his forward G-4 JOPES (Joint Operations Planning and Execution System) team, Hitt works to authorize flights and vessel movements which provide the logistical backbone to the entire effort in Afghanistan and across the Middle East. "The position my section covers is extremely important for getting soldiers to where they need to go and cargo where it also needs to go," says Hitt.

When he's not on duty in the desert, Hitt is the Internal Controls Accountant for Pasco School District, a job he's done for the last 11 years. "I basically keep the District out of trouble," says Hitt. He acts as the main liaison with the State Auditor's office, as the District's records manager, and as a valuable District resources for questions related to grants, ASB finances, and taxes. Hitt's co-workers in the Fiscal Services Department step up to cover his duties when he's away.