Everywhere he goes these days Dennis Hill gets an extra pat on the back.

Selected in July as the Superintendent of the Year in Education Service Center (ESC) Region 13, he is also one of five finalists for Texas Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) to be announced Sept. 28.

“It’s like having a local Olympic champion,” said Ronnie Rudd, president of the Llano Independent School District Board of Trustees. “We’re just waiting to see if he gets the gold medal.”

Dubbing his work with LISD “Miracle on the Llano,” the board and faculty submitted Hill’s name in June to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) for the SOTY program to recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership.

“Superintendent Dennis Hill engineered what has to be one of the greatest recoveries in the history of Texas education,” said his nomination.

Although Hill always credits teamwork for any miracles in the district, it is the team that put their leader forward.

“He absolutely won’t give himself any credit,” said Coni Milliorn, the board member who coordinated his nomination. “He says ‘It’s the troops,’ but so many people responded when we asked them for comments.”

“In 2003, Llano ISD was at a historical low point ... a general fund deficit of $1,055,816,” outlined the nomination. “Three quarters of a million dollars was begged and borrowed from local banks just to meet payroll.

“A reduction in force of 54 employees (including 36 teachers) took place and salaries were frozen for three years.

“The District had a $5 million overrun on a building project. The previous superintendent was under indictment. Llano ISD was on the brink of Texas Education Agency (TEA) appointing a monitor.

“In the five years that he has been superintendent, Dennis Hill ... has regained the trust of the taxpayers and the public,” continued the praise. “Under his no-nonsense leadership and gift for drawing people together, the general fund has a positive balance of $5,124,511. Teachers have been returned to acceptable levels, with salaries raised to a competitive level.

“Academic achievement has reached an all-time high, with two National Merit Scholars, several state first place finishes in University Interscholastic League academics, and several first team all-state academic athletics.”

Hill, who had been serving as assistant superintendent, was selected to succeed Jack Patton in March 2004.

Patton ultimately became the first criminal conviction of a public official who violated the state's Public Information Act (PIA) and was given a probated sentence. Hill remained without raises, performing all the tasks of both superintendent and assistant and meeting step by step Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) requirements imposed by then Comptroller Carol Keeton Rylander Strayhorn.

“Teachers told us, ‘I stayed because Dennis Hill asked me to,’” said Milliorn.

The board told TASB that Hill started energy conservation before it was in vogue, employed citizen advisory committees for long-range planning and posted cash disbursements on the school’s Web site.

“Mr. Hill has an uncanny ability to anticipate problems and to work on a solution before the problems get larger,” the board said.

“Mr. Hill spends a lot of time counseling both parents and students,” one staff member was quoted as saying. “He focuses on the root of the problem and gives parents and students skills to help them cope with their issues. It is amazing to watch (them) shaking Mr. Hill

’s hand in an appreciative manner even after he has issued an expulsion order. He really cares about people.”

“Llano ISD and public education in general are extremely fortunate to have a truly dedicated educator like Superintendent Dennis Hill,” said past board president Alan Geistman. “His ‘The Buck Stops Here’ philosophy and willingness to take the responsibility for the direction and actions of the district make him a rare commodity in the world of educational management.

“Just like his focus and passion for efficiently providing the very best possible education for all youths, his integrity and purpose are unquestionable. His stewardship of our tax dollars and willingness to make tough decisions and changes continue to add greatly to his effectiveness.

“Dennis has guided LISD, in an amazingly short time, from the brink of collapse to a position of stability that is the envy of other school districts,” said Geistman “He should have qualified for “Superintendent of the Year” every year.

“Regardless of the outcome of the statewide selection process, the citizens, taxpayers, LISD staff, parents and youths of the LISD community have reason to be very proud of their superintendent.”

Milliorn said Hill has been a teacher for 29 years, 28 of which have been in Llano and 24, in administration. He earned the bachelor and master’s degrees of education from Texas State University. He serves about 1,900 students here.

Active in the community, he has held leadership positions in the Llano Lions Club, Llano Junior Livestock Show Association, Llano Youth Baseball Association, and Llano Crime Stoppers. The Llano Chamber of Commerce and Llano Masonic Lodge have honored him.

The TASB state SOTY selection committee, interviewed all regional winners Aug. 22-23 in Austin, focusing on such issues as advocacy, standardized testing, long-range planning, district leadership, and student success.

All the finalists are members of the Texas Association of School Administrators. In addition to Hill, 2008 finalists, their districts and nominating education service centers (ESCs) are: °©Ted Moore, Lovejoy ISD with 2,500 students, ESC 10; Stephen Waddell, Birdville ISD with 22,000 students, ESC 11; Doug Harriman, Seminole ISD with 2,300 students, ESC 17, and Dan Troxell, Kerrville ISD with 4,800 students, ESC 20.

The 2008 Superintendent of the Year will be announced September 28 at the TASA/TASB Convention in Dallas.

SOTY candidates are chosen for their dedication to improving educational quality, board-superintendent relations, student achievement, and commitment to public support and involvement in education. Superintendents from any of Texas’ 1,036 school districts are eligible for nomination by their local boards of trustees. District nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which submits one nominee per region to the state selection committee.

Other regional winners nominated by the ESCs: Roel Gonzalez, Rio Grande City CISD, ESC 1; Sam Atwood, Goliad ISD, ESC 3; Abelardo Saavedra, Houston ISD, ESC 4; Mike Cargill, Bryan ISD, ESC 6; David Fitts, Pewitt CISD, ESC 8; Tom Woody, Vernon ISD, ESC 9; James “Ronny” Collins, Snyder ISD (now with Mineral Wells ISD), ESC 14; Matt Underwood, Mason ISD, ESC 15; Frank Belcher, Canadian ISD, ESC 16; and Ricardo Estrada, Clint ISD, ESC 19.

TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local public school districts. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state.