"Dr. Hunt reflects the vision of our students, staff, families and community for our next superintendent — he is an accomplished educator and a visionary leader who truly believes in supporting all students and building a strong relationship with our community."
Board of Education President, Lori Trent
The Upper Arlington Schools Board of Education named Dr. Robert Hunt the next Superintendent of the Ohio school district that serves more than 6,000 students.
Dr. Hunt will prepare for the transition to the new school community in the coming months, before he officially joins the district on July 1, 2023. The incoming Superintendent recognizes the importance of the school-community partnership and intends to get started on building the connections- “to spend this transition listening and learning about what makes Upper Arlington so special,” he stated at a special Board meeting to approve his contract.*
While Hunt will be departing from the northwest suburbs of Chicago where he currently serves as Superintendent of Barrington Community Unit School District 220, he will be heading back to his roots. Hunt is an Ohio native and has spent the majority of his career in his home state, including serving the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District for nine years as Superintendent. Dr. Hunt has been in public education for 27 years, starting his career as a middle school teacher and athletic director before becoming a high school principal and then a district Superintendent.*
In a welcome statement, Board of Education President Lori Trent said, “Dr. Hunt reflects the vision of our students, staff, families and community for our next superintendent — he is an accomplished educator and a visionary leader who truly believes in supporting all students and building a strong relationship with our community.”* In addition to Hunt’s experience, he has been recognized for exceptional leadership. Among his accomplishments, he received the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Ohio Superintendent Outstanding Performance Award in 2020 and in 2007, he was named “Ohio Principal of the Year” by the National Association of Secondary School Administrators.*
Upper Arlington Schools received input from more than 1,000 stakeholders, including students, staff, and community members in a months-long Superintendent search process with the guidance of Hazard, Young, Attea (HYA) and its dedicated team that included HYA President Max McGee, and Senior Associates Ken Arndt and Connie Collins. “This was one of just two searches I have done in the past five years where all slated candidates were sitting superintendents and the Board is to be commended for their thorough review of each of the slated candidates. This five member Board was exceptionally collaborative and their new team of six will ensure a very bright future for the district’s students, staff, and families,” praised President Max McGee.
The Upper Arlington search was important to McGee on a personal level. He first visited the district in 1972 when he coached lacrosse in Detroit, and his team played in Upper Arlington, one of the few high schools who had a lacrosse team. Max declared, “I fell in love with the community as a high school coach and now fifty years later, Upper Arlington won the Ohio state lacrosse championship and landed an outstanding superintendent.”
Featured Superintendent and Executive Searches
HYA and our associates assist school districts and educational organizations across the nation with superintendent and executive searches. Learn about a selection of recent searches and read what school boards have to say about working with HYA and participating in our K12 search process.
