Grapeview schools superintendent retiring

Grapeview School District Superintendent Kurt Hilyard is retiring, with his last day at the post June 30.

The district's board of directors on Tuesday hired Jerry Grubbs as his replacement. Grubbs is the part-time superintendent of the Starbuck School District in Eastern Washington, and he will perform both jobs. Grubbs is the husband of Nikki Grubbs, who is leaving as superintendent of the Hood Canal School District to be assistant superintendent of the North Thurston School District.

In an interview with the Shelton-Mason County Journal, the 64-year-old Hilyard said the death of his wife last year from cancer prompted his decision to step down.

"That changed a lot of things," he said.

The Montana native has spent 36 of his 41 years in education as a superintendent in Montana and Washington. He was hired to be part-time superintendent of the Grapeview School District in 2019, and officially works two days a week. He also works at home on his days off, saying his Mondays usually include two or three Zoom meetings.

Hilyard said he will miss the students and the staff.

"Superintendent Hilyard is a man who always did more than he had to do, better than he had to do it," Grapeview School Board member Jim Snyder wrote in an email to the Journal. "He is an effective communicator and always had time for students and staff. Grapeview School continued to grow under his leadership, plus the effectiveness of the principal and the total staff. He will be missed, but is leaving our school in good hands."

"Kurt was a pleasure to work with," wrote School Board member Les Okonek, "His 30-plus years of superintendent experience was very important to the district at the time he was hired in 2019. During his transition as the Grapeview School superintendent, he had to interview and hire a new principal for the school. And then along comes COVID with its challenges. His expertise and leadership were vital to Grapeview's success over/during the last two years plus. We at (the district) were blessed to have his leadership! As a board member, working with Kurt was a wonderful experience!"

Hilyard graduated from high school in Plentywood in eastern Montana. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Montana State University-Billings and his Master of Education degree at the University of Montana in Missoula.

After a few years as a middle school math instructor, he became a superintendent at age 28 with Brady Public Schools in Montana. Student enrollment was 98. Along with being the superintendent, Hilyard was the elementary and secondary school principal, the athletic director, transportation supervisor, and coached junior high and high school girls basketball.

"You just did it all," he recalled. "I had no secretary. I did all the typing ... If you coached, you had to drive the bus. That was part of the deal."

Hilyard had retired from a two-year stint as superintendent of the Ocosta School District in Westport when he saw the posting for the Grapeview job. The job was a short commute from his home in the Sunnyslope area east of Port Orchard. Hilyard said he was stunned by the beauty of the forested campus and impressed by the staff.

The student test scores are high in the district, which has to turn away requests for admittance to its small campus.

"With just 215 kids, we can follow kids and what they're doing," Hilyard said.

Hilyard said he plans to spend time with his six grandchildren, and he remains open to returning to education if the right job presents itself.