Topeka, KS - The Kansas Superintendents Association (KSSA) is pleased to announce the 2024 Kansas Superintendent of the Year is Dr. Michelle Hubbard, Superintendent of Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD).

Dr. Hubbard, along with fellow finalists Mr. Don Potter and Dr. Kellen Adams, participated in interviews with five former Kansas Superintendents of the Year in Topeka as part of the final selection process. Dr. Hubbard’s work and commitment to student success stood out to the review board throughout the process as they evaluated each candidate based on their professionalism, communication, community involvement, and leadership.  

One area of focus for Dr. Hubbard in her role as superintendent in Shawnee Mission has been on the achievement by graduating seniors of Market Value Assets (MVA), industry-valued and recognized skills acquired in high school that create a more seamless transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the workplace. Shawnee Mission has the goal that by 2030 100% of students will graduate with an MVA. Prior to 2021, fewer than 30% of students were graduating from an SMSD high school with an MVA. In 2021, that increased to 40% of students graduated with an MVA, and this past year, 47% of students graduated with an MVA.

Dr. Hubbard credits this success to the district's intentional focus and investment in seeing this outcome improve. She wrote, “Our community has provided the district with a very clear focus. It is my responsibility to ensure that we prioritize all of our resources towards that focus.” To move this work forward, the district hired a business liaison and real world learning counselors at each high school, purchased computer platforms, developed implementation teams, and enacted communication plans. This year, SMSD is working to graduate 60% of students with an MVA.

Dr. Michelle Hubbard ascended to the role of superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District on July 1, 2021. Prior to becoming Superintendent, Dr. Hubbard served for five years as the Associate Superintendent of Leadership and Learning, and for a year as Deputy Superintendent. Shawnee Mission serves more than 26,000 students and employs over 3500 staff. The district consists of 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools as well as a day school, alternative school, an early childhood center, and a technical center. 

Prior to coming to Shawnee Mission, Dr. Hubbard served as superintendent of Turner School District USD 202 for seven years. While in USD 202, Dr. Hubbard also served as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, high school assistant principal, elementary principal, and high school principal. Dr. Hubbard began with Turner USD 202 in 1992 as a paraeducator before becoming a special education teacher and then an inclusion facilitator. Dr. Hubbard began her career in Duncan, Oklahoma as a Special Education Teacher.

Dr. Hubbard’s leadership has gone beyond her local district. She has served on numerous professional boards/committees including the Kansas School Superintendents Association Board of Directors, American Association of School Administrators Governing Board, Kansas/Missouri Superintendent Forum Board of Directors, and the board of the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

As the 2024 Kansas Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Hubbard’s application will be submitted to the American Association of School Superintendents (AASA) for consideration as the 2024 National Superintendent of the Year. National finalists will be announced in January 2024 and the national winner will be announced at the 2024 National Conference on Education in February 2024.