The Upper Arlington Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 30 at City Council Chambers, 3600 Tremont Rd., to consider entering into a contract with Robert Hunt, Ph.D., as the new superintendent of the Upper Arlington Schools. The Upper Arlington Board of Education will host a community open house to meet Dr. Hunt immediately following the meeting until 7:00 p.m.
An Ohio native, Dr. Hunt has served 27 years in public education and nearly 12 years as the superintendent in school districts both in the states of Ohio and Illinois, where he currently serves as the superintendent of the Barrington 220 Community Unit School District, northwest of Chicago.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Hunt to Upper Arlington and back to the Buckeye State,” said Board of Education President Lori Trent. “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.”
Dr. Hunt has spent the majority of his career in the state of Ohio, where he most recently served for nine years as the superintendent of the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District near Cleveland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Kent State University, a master’s degree in educational administration from Ursuline College, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from Kent State University.
“From the very first time I visited the community many years ago, Upper Arlington has always been a pinnacle for me. There is an evident partnership between the community and the schools that has led to a high quality educational experience for all students,” Dr. Hunt said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to be the next leader of this exceptional school district and to continue to foster that partnership.”
Dr. Hunt has held numerous roles in public school districts in the state, starting as a middle school English teacher and athletic director and later becoming a high school administrator. He was named the 2021 Ohio Superintendent of the Year by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and has also received the prestigious Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Ohio Superintendent Outstanding Performance Award, which recognizes exceptional leadership with a commitment to deep learning and excellent teaching.
Over the next several months, Dr. Hunt will be working with Interim Superintendent Kathy Jenney, Ed.D., and the rest of the Upper Arlington Schools staff as he prepares to transition to the role of superintendent in Upper Arlington.
“Building relationships is critically important to me,” Dr. Hunt said. “I anticipate a significant amount of time will be spent interacting with our students, staff, parents and community in the coming months.”
Dr. Hunt is also excited to bring his family to Upper Arlington — including his wife, Shannon, who is a high school teacher, and their two elementary-age children, Emerson and Hawken. They also have two older children — Ashton, who will graduate from the University of Dayton this spring with a teaching degree, and Braden, who is looking to transfer from a community college in Illinois to a college in Ohio this fall.
The selection of Dr. Hunt as the district’s next superintendent is the culmination of a months-long search process, involving feedback from more than 1,000 students, staff, families and community members as to their vision for the next leader of the Upper Arlington Schools.
“On behalf of the Board of Education, we truly thank the many, many community members who took time last fall to share their vision for our next leader,” Trent said. “We look forward to many opportunities ahead for everyone to get to know Dr. Hunt and to work together so that our school district can be the best it can be.”