Texas loses accomplished educator from New Boston
Dr. Susan Simpson Hull, who grew up in New Boston and had a distinguished 39-year-career in education, died Monday.
Hull, 60, died while on vacation in Arizona from injuries she sustained in a motorcycle accident, according to news reports.
At the time of her death, she was in her 11th year as superintendent for Grand Prairie Independent School District with an enrollment of more than 29,000 students, according to the district’s website.
She is credited with transforming the once lackluster district by offering unique programs focusing on leadership, law, sports medicine and even environmental science, which transformed it into a “destination district,” according to the Dallas Morning News.
Educational leadership ran in the family as Hull was a third-generation superintendent. She had served five school districts during more than 25 years.
Her father, the late Hubert Simpson, was the principal at New Boston High School from 1956 to 1974 and the Superintendent from 1974 until he retired in 1985. After that, he accepted a seat on the Region 8 Education Service Center Board where he served for another 25 years.
In 2005, Hull was selected as Texas Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Administrators, according Grand Prairie ISD’s website.
She was appointed by two governors to terms on the State Board of Educator Certification. Gov. Rick Perry appointed her in 2014 and Gov. Greg Abbott reappointed her in 2015.
She received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from East Texas State University in 1980 and 1989, respectively.
She earned her superintendent certification from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1993 and her Pd.D in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University in 2003.
She amassed numerous academic, civic and community accolades from the universities she attended and towns she served.
Locally, a visitation will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Tapp Memorial United Methodist Church, 715 McCoy Blvd. in New Boston. The funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. at the New Boston High School Auditorium, 1 Lion Drive in New Boston with Dr. Bill Skaar officiating. Burial will follow at Ringwood Cemetery on state Highway 8 South.