Hiser named new superintendent for School District 2

“I want to create and maintain a culture where teachers can grow professionally and personally and not be afraid to try new things.”

– William Hiser

The search to replace Doug Hazen as superintendent of Big Horn County School District No. 2 has come to an end as the school board approved Lovell Middle School principal William Hiser as his successor at Monday night’s monthly board meeting.

The three potential candidates interviewed in this final round were Hiser, Steve Burch of Fairview, Wyoming, and Dan Grabowska of Park City, Montana.

Hiser has 21 years of experience in public education, eight of which were at the administrative level.

On his resume, he reports that his career has been dedicated to supporting students, educators and communities through roles as a teacher, school counselor, assistant high school principal, special education director, district 504 coordinator and middle school principal.

Hiser has served as the Lovell Middle School principal since 2019 and feels like those diverse leadership experiences have equipped him with the skills and vision necessary to drive student success and organizational growth.

“I am eager to lead BHCSD#2 as superintendent, leading with servant leadership, collaboration, innovation and a deep commitment to educational success,” he stated in his application.

At the community forum held last Tuesday night, Hiser said, “I hope to use some of the things that I have implemented here at the middle school district wide and continue a lot of the good things that we already have going here in this district. I would like to be a part of our future in a new capacity but also ensure that we continue to do good things here and have great outcomes for our students and staff.”

Hiser’s vision for the district doesn’t conflict with the existing vision, and he wants to emphasize helping students prepare to become productive and responsible members of society while being adaptive to an ever-changing world.

“I want to create and maintain a culture where teachers can grow professionally and personally and not be afraid to try new things,” Hiser added. “I want them to be innovative and take chances and move forward.”

He hopes to lead by example and practice what he preaches, and have open, clear communication with staff, parents and the community with honesty and accountability.

“I see this as an opportunity in continuing my educational growth, and I would not have applied if I didn’t think I could do the job,” Hiser concluded. “I also know that I don’t know everything there is to know about the job yet but see that as a chance to learn and grow in it.”

Current superintendent Hazen had great praise for his colleague when contacted this week.

“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside William for the past five years, and his leadership as middle school principal and special education director has been a huge asset to BGH2,” Hazen said. “He brings a student-centered approach to every challenge, and I’m confident he will serve our district exceptionally well as superintendent.

“William brings a deep understanding of our district’s systems, expectations and day-to-day operations. His experience and insight will allow for a smooth transition and ensure continuity in the work we’ve been doing to support students and staff. As I said to the staff in my email last week, I believe William’s leadership experience and commitment to BGH2 made him the right choice to guide our district into the future.”