In a meeting that lasted all of 45 seconds, the Watonga Board of Education Wednesday voted to make Kyle Hilterbran the new superintendent of the Watonga School District, effective for the 2021-22 academic year.
The board also voted to hire Hilterbran’s wife, Donna Michelle Hilterbran, as a high school teacher. The votes were unanimous, with all board members in attendance save for president Joyce Lucas.
Kyle Hilterbran will succeed Mark Batt as the district superintendent. He comes to Watonga after four years as the principal of Clinton Middle School.
Before Clinton, Hilterbran spend six years in Enid and four in Denham Springs, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Weatherford High School and Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
“When I saw this job, I thought it was a match from the very beginning,” Hilterbran told the Watonga Republican after his hire. “The things that they were interested in and wanted to be good at, were the things I felt like I was good at in the school I was at previously. They wanted to increase technology, increase academic achievement and find someone who gets out in the community and represents your school. I think that all three of those things match up with what I’m good at.”
One of Hilterbran’s first priorities will be to hire a high school principal, he said, and to build relationships with the school leaders and school board. “And getting out there in the community and shaking hands and find out who everybody is, and figuring out what our mission, vision, values and goals that we want for our school so we can be successful.”
Hilterbran’s official start date is July 1, but he said he intends to be around frequently in the coming months and especially in June.
“I’m just really excited and really happy,” he said. “My wife also got hired today.” The Hilterbrans have two children, in 7th and 4th grade, and said they’re “looking forward to coming here and being part of the community.”
“I’m excited about the potential of what Watonga has to offer,” he said.