The Ocosta School District decided it needed some stability at the superintendent position when Superintendent Kurt Hilyard announced his retirement earlier this year after just 2 years at the helm.

Fortunately, the district had a qualified candidate right in front of them, one the tight-knit community already knows well, and one who has no intention of leaving the district any time soon.

Heather Sweet has been with the Ocosta School District for more than a decade. She served as the principal of Ocosta Elementary from 2008-2016, and before being named superintendent earlier this year, she was the Director of Teaching and Learning for the Ocosta School District.

“I love this district,” said Sweet. “I have a commitment to Ocosta.”

In the previous 12 years, Ocosta had the services of three superintendents. After the retirement of the much-respected Paula Ackerlund two years ago, the district did a thorough search for a replacement and found it in Kurt Hilyard, who in turn announced his retirement earlier this year.

The need for a committed leader in the district was made more evident with two new principals – Christopher Pollard at Ocosta Junior/Senior High and Cindy Risher at the Preschool and K-6 level — announced just months ago. Rather than embark on another massive search for Hilyard’s replacement — the board considered more than 20 applicants before selecting Hilyard — they stuck close to home and hired Sweet.

“If Kurt hadn’t left I still wouldn’t have moved on,” said Sweet, whose son, Gerrick, just graduated from Ocosta High. Her husband, Gary, is a software designer for the State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The family is gearing up for a new addition — they are in the process of adopting a 5-year-old nephew, Kellen.

Sweet was raised in Lacey, and her parents were educators. She got her Bachelor of Arts degree at The Evergreen State College, her Teacher Education Certificate at Eastern Washington University, a Masters of Educational Leadership and Washington Principal Certification at City University in Tacoma, and finally her Superintendent Credential from Washington State University. She taught in Lakewood for 18 years before landing in the Ocosta School District.

Sweet firmly believes in the district’s motto: Engaged. Productive. Citizens. Together We Are Ocosta, and will follow the core principals the district has adopted in its recently-completed 2019-22 strategic plan. The plan is available at the district website, ocosta.k12.wa.us.

She plans on sticking around, and has a vision for what is expected by the district’s administrators, parents and students. She’s spent enough time in the community, which has a history of supporting its school and students, to “feel like I know most of the families here and know what to expect” as she enters her first year as the district’s superintendent.

“They are going to get a pretty personal experience,” said Sweet of the students attending the district’s schools, and those students’ parents. “We get to know the good, their strengths, and what they have to work on. You’re going to get a pretty custom education when you come here.”