The Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) has announced the selection of Mrs. Toni Hill, Superintendent of the Bloomfield R-XIV School District, as the recipient of the 2022 Robert L. Pearce Award.
Each of the eight MASA regions nominated a superintendent for the award. A committee of her peers selected Hill, who represents the Southeast region. The Bloomfield R-XIV School District serves 620 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve and is one of seven districts in Stoddard County, located at the top of the bootheel of Missouri.
Hill attended Southeast Missouri State University where she attained her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, Master’s in Secondary Administration, and Specialist in Educational Administration. Hill has also completed the coursework for her doctorate at William Woods University and is working on her dissertation in Educational Leadership.
Prior to beginning her tenure as Bloomfield Superintendent in 2012, Hill served as the superintendent in Portageville School District and as the High School Principal and Middle School Principal at Bloomfield R-XIV.
Hill prioritizes professional growth as a primary goal of her Bloomfield district; the two focus areas are reading comprehension and science/technology. In her application, Hill shared, “Our district is committed to providing high-quality professional development in areas that will impact student learning.”
In the fall of 2020, Bloomfield R-XIV planned transformative professional development for the staff to ensure they had the technology skills and tools needed to continue high student engagement and learning through COVID. Hill stated, “The majority of our professional development focused on ensuring our staff had the skills, to not only teach during a closure or quarantines, but to prepare students for the future.”
As a leader, Mrs. Hill models the importance of professional development. She has been a member of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) since 2006. Mrs. Hill currently serves on the Executive Committee as Secretary; she has also held the office of Treasurer. Hill belongs to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Hill is also a member of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce and Secretary of the Bloomfield R-XIV Foundation for Education.
Under Hill’s leadership and the commitment of her staff, Bloomfield R-XIV Middle School was honored with the 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for the district’s dedication to its belief that “every student deserves high quality instruction, community relationships, and leadership development.” Students are immersed in technology enhanced, Project-Based learning through school programs such as Robotics, Medical Detective, and STEM classes.
Additionally, Mrs. Hill collaborated with the school nurse and school board to implement an on-site free telemedicine clinic. Students now have access to virtual doctor visits through a provider, completely free of charge regardless of income level.
Superintendent Hill works closely with Bloomfield community leaders to ensure the district meets the needs of the community. Hill created a “Make a Difference Day,” in which students in Pre-Kindergarten through twelve complete a service project one day each spring. Hill shared, “We, as a district, feel that it is so important to teach our students to give without expecting something in return. We want our students to become good community citizens.”
The Pearce Award includes a $500 cash award to the recipient and a $500 scholarship for a student in the district of the award winner. Toni Hill is the 36th recipient of the prestigious Robert L. Pearce Award.
Other 2022 Pearce Award Nominees, including their school districts and regions include:
Kelvin Adams, St. Louis Public Schools
Mark Bedell, Kansas City Public Schools
Kim Gaines, North Shelby School District
Roger Schmitz, Lawson R-XIV School District
Marc Snow, Grain Valley R-V School District
Dustin Storm, Miller R-II School District
Jenny Ulrich, Lonedell R-XIV School District