Richland 2 superintendent gets ‘commendable’ review, announces plan to retire

Richland 2 superintendent Debbie Hamm’s job performance earned a “commendable” rating from the Richland 2 Board of Trustees Thursday night.

At the same time, the board was informed that Hamm, who has worked for Richland 2 for nearly 40 years and has been superintendent for three, plans to retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

“To have that long of a career, anyone anywhere, is incredible,” said board chairman James Manning. “She has left us in a great place for whoever takes over her spot.”

Manning added the board had suspected for a while Hamm would likely be considering retirement soon, but they hoped it wasn’t going to happen just yet.

“You don’t know exactly when it’s coming, but you have an idea that this isn’t going to last forever either,” said Manning, adding that at least the board will have a year to search for Hamm’s successor.

In addition to a one-year extension of her contract, Hamm will receive a 2.5 percent increase to her annuity contribution for the 2016-17 school year.

The annual review follows a school year that brought unfavorable national attention to the district last October after a video of a black Spring Valley High School student being tossed across a classroom by a white school resource officer went viral. Two black students were charged with disturbing schools, and the resource officer lost his job in the incident.

Hamm said that October’s historic floods and the Spring Valley incident were her most challenging in the 39 years she’s worked at Richland 2.

“When I look back on it, our Richland 2 family kind of pulled together and did the right things,” said Hamm of both events. “That’s one of the reasons you feel good about the people you work with.”

Hamm stressed she won’t be taking it slow during her final year. But her remaining time will be bittersweet after spending so much time surrounded by so many talented, educational innovators, she said.

District leaders often tout the district has been a “pipeline to students’ success.”

Hamm has said the district’s “Four Squares” to success – learning, character, community and joy – provide focus. “Students need to be engaged in learning and experience the joy of success; we’re teaching students character, so they will grow into responsible adults who contribute to their community.”

Some indicators of those successes are:

▪ The district on-time graduation rate for 2015 was 86 percent, a 14 percent increase in six years.

▪ This past year, 304 students also worked as teacher cadets or fire academy participants or in fields such as medicine, including sports medicine. Also, 821 students participated in JROTC.

▪ Graduating students received $90 million in scholarships in 2014-15.

▪ 2002 students took AP exams in the 2014-15 school year. Those students had a 64 percent passage rate on the exams, which is higher than the state and national average.

Richland 2’s five high schools have been particular successes, district officials say.

Juniors and seniors can participate in the unique Institute of Innovation, which allows students to work side-by-side with business professionals in analyzing real-world challenges and help create solutions.

Various high schools also help students earn engineering credits at area universities. And the schools offer strong programs in culinary arts, cosmetology and barbering, construction, digital art and design, auto mechanics and agriculture and small animal science.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 12:08 AM with the headline "Richland 2 superintendent gets ‘commendable’ review, announces plan to retire."