Dr. Steven Hull will take over the superintendent duties for Falcon School District 49 on July 1.Hull has been the superintendent for two years at the Bethel School District in Eugene, Ore. He is married and has four children ranging in age 26 to 12. His oldest child, daughter Jean, is a West Point graduate and a captain in the Army. She is currently serving in Iraq. His son, Tim, is a senior at the University of Phoenix and was recently activated in the National Guard. Greg is a student at the University of Nevada at Reno and the youngest, Jeff, will join the district this fall as an eighth grader.The NFH met with Hull on May 15 while he was visiting Falcon.NFH: Why are you leaving your current superintendent position?Hull: I made the decision to leave Oregon about six months ago. Oregon is facing another budget cut for education – the seventh cut in eight years. The funding for education is horrible and it appears that it will just continue to get worse. I like putting things together, not tearing them apart. I told the board of education that I was going to explore other options.NFH: Do you plan on living within the district?Hull: Absolutely. I am meeting with a Realtor today. My wife and like to be close to everything, though, so most likely we will live on the west side of the district.NFH: What do you see as your biggest challenge at D 49?Hull: I think I will be better able to answer that in month or so. That being said, getting the mill levy passed is very important. I know it will be difficult but I am optimistic. We need to be able to provide students with a world-class education while dealing with explosive growth. That is our role as educators. I am an outsider so I also want to take some time to listen and learn.NFH: Describe your leadership style.Hull: I am all about teamwork and getting the job done. I think it’s critical to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. I’m also very goal oriented. I believe in defined goals and trusting your team to focus their energy on obtaining them. I am also very approachable. I want people to know that I will listen to them. That goes for the staff as well. Although I don’t think that one should go around their supervisor and come straight to me. Issues should first be addressed by immediate supervisors and hopefully resolved there.NFH: What do you want to accomplish your first year?Hull: I will sit down the board and discuss that. Obviously, I want the mill levy to pass first and foremost. I also want to educate the community on the needs of our kids. It’s very different from when we were in school. Kids are much more aware of the world than we were. They have access to much more information via the internet. Our kids must compete not only with other local districts but kids around the world. I am also very interested in improving communication between the district and community. I want to hire a communications director whose responsibility will be making sure the media is fully aware of happenings within the schools.NFH: What else do you want the people who live in the D 49 district to know about you?Hull: I believe it is our job as educators to do what is right for kids. That’s why we are here. In the Oregon district that I’m leaving, the arts are all but gone due to budget cuts. Art, music and sports are a very important part of a child’s education. Students deserve our support and the best we can give to them. I am most concerned with the student underachievers. These are the kids who may not have the support they need at home, and I believe it is our job to help them so they will believe in themselves.I am really looking forward to the challenges at D 49.
