New high school principal eager to take reins

Burnie Hibbard recently accepted Maricopa Unified School District’s two-year contract offer to become principal of Maricopa High School. He replaces Jeff St. Clair who resigned and while his official start date isn’t until July 1, Hibbard “hopes to be out there before then to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.”

According to the Pre-selection Committee chair, Joanne Pratt, Hibbard was the first choice of both the committee and the Community Open Forum attendees. “I thought the committee did their job with the utmost integrity, confidentiality and responsibility,” Pratt said. “They put forth three outstanding and highly qualified candidates from which the leadership and public had to choose.”

Now that the difficult and oft controversial hiring process has concluded, the District and Hibbard alike are focused on the 2005-06 school year and beyond. When asked what changes he will initially make, Hibbard indicated his first step will be to listen.

This process will commence with meeting individually with teachers to solicit feedback on what is going on inside the school. “I won’t judge from the outside,” Hibbard said. “I will talk to teachers and community members and see what changes are necessary.”

As a former coach, Hibbard is aware of the importance of athletics and other extracurricular activities, but does not lose sight of the core purpose. “The base is academics,” he said. “My focus will be on very strong academics.”

Hibbard is no stranger to dealing with growth-related issues. He was initially hired five years ago as the planning principal for Higley High School prior to its opening. During the school’s first four years, its enrollment more than doubled from its original 600 students to close to 1,500 this past school year.

Hibbard’s interest in Maricopa High School stems from the school’s location, size and opportunities affiliated with the area’s growth. “It’s a good fit for my experience and background,” he said, referring to teaching stints in the rural Arizona communities of Bagdad and Camp Verde in addition to his tenure at Higley.

“Growth is always fun,” Hibbard said. “It’s challenging, but it creates wonderful opportunities for teachers, students and staff alike.”