Hilary Hathaway at a glance
- Lake Placid High School graduate.
- Former teacher.
- Former assistant principal and principal.
- Former finance director for Hardee County Schools.
- Candidate for the District 4 seat on the Highlands County School Board.
Hilary Hathaway is seeking the District 4 seat on the Highlands County School Board after a career that has included classroom teaching, school administration and public-school finance.
A graduate of Lake Placid High School, Hathaway has worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. She later served as finance director for Hardee County Schools. Her campaign centers on employee support, access to board members, budget priorities and preserving programs that serve students with different academic and career goals.
Hathaway said she wants board members to spend more time in schools and remain available to teachers, support employees, parents and other community members. She described attending school meetings, community events and student activities, along with creating scheduled opportunities for employees to raise concerns. As an administrator, Hathaway participated in informal meetings known as “fireside chats,” where employees could sign up to talk with administrators without a set agenda. She said a similar approach could be used by a board member through office hours or scheduled meetings with teachers and members of the public.
When asked how the district should respond to a teacher whose students were not producing acceptable results, Hathaway said direct supervision and personnel decisions begin with school administrators rather than the School Board. She described a process that would begin with coaching, targeted assistance and support from a veteran or highly effective teacher. If the employee did not improve, reassignment to another subject could be considered before beginning a dismissal process.
Hathaway said she would choose competitive employee pay over using general-fund money for an additional program. She said the district needs employees to operate its existing programs and should seek grants, state funds, federal funds or other sources when possible to finance new initiatives. She also said positions that work directly with students would receive priority when budget reductions are considered. Asked about administrative staffing, Hathaway distinguished between school-based administrators and district-level positions. She said principals and assistant principals are assigned through staffing formulas and that she would first examine whether district-level administrative positions could be restructured.
Hathaway identified career and technical education, art, music and advanced academic courses as programs she would seek to preserve. She specifically mentioned welding, nursing and business programs at the high-school level. She said those classes can affect student interest, attendance and decisions to remain enrolled in the district. On disagreements between parents and school employees, Hathaway said the board should hear from both sides and work toward common ground rather than begin by choosing one group over the other. She has also said the district should make information about its budget, student progress and operations easier for the public to find and understand.
Hathaway’s campaign slogan is “Listening with Purpose. Leading with Experience.” Her candidacy presents voters with a record that includes work in classrooms, school administration and district finance, along with stated positions on employee pay, staffing, public access and student programs.
