Longtime educator named new school superintendent
Yuma’s tom Hurt appointed to replace tom tyree
Yuma County has a new Superintendent of Schools.
On Monday, May 2, the Yuma County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved and appointed Tom Hurt as Yuma County School Superintendent to fill the position left vacant by Tom Tyree in February 2022.
“When Tom Tyree retired from this position, I was approached by several community people as well as local administrators inquiring as to my interest in this position,” Hurt said. “I felt like I could help the community by entering my name as a candidate.”
According to the requirements of filling the position mid-term, Hurt entered as a candidate for the position with a letter of recommendation from the Yuma County Republican Party. He will serve in office until the next election in November, at which point he plans to run for the position.
“I hope to perform the duties of the position to serve the community,” Hurt said. “I am following Tom Tyree in this position and it is like following a coach that has gone undefeated for several years. He has been an exceptional Yuma County superintendent
that has accomplished much and served the community admirably.”
Having been approached by community members with interest for Hurt to seek the position, it may come as no surprise that Hurt’s background in education is a long one. After graduating from Western New Mexico University in 1969, he began his career as a teacher and head football coach in Bowie, Ariz. He has 22 years of teaching experience and additional experience as a principal in two high schools–in total, he’s served in nine different school districts.
“In several of those districts, I was an athletic director and coached other sports,” he said. “As an administrator, I have been an assistant principal, athletic director, principal and associate superintendent. When Yuma Catholic High School opened, I was the first principal, athletic director and football coach for four years.”
In Yuma County alone, Hurt has served in plenty of schools: not only as a teacher, coach and athletic director, but also as a leader in managing personnel, fiscal and disciplinary matters, overseeing daily operations and setting goals. His career has seen him in Yuma High School, Kofa High School, Vista High School and Yuma Catholic High School. He also served as associate superintendent for school improvement in Yuma School District One for seven years.
On a broader scale, Hurt has served Yuma education as a past president of the Education Foundation of Yuma County. He’s been honored as teacher of the year for Yuma Catholic High School and Ray High School. And in 2021, he was inducted into the Arizona Coaches Hall of Fame.
Although Hurt retired from 43 years of education in 2012, he’s since stayed current with the field thanks to his wife, Laura.
“I’m married to a school principal and she’s principal at Gary Knox, so I’m pretty much keeping up with happenings in education because we’re talking about it every day,” he said.
He credits these daily conversations with having made the transition easier as he regularly hears on issues of Arizona education at large and testing. Also of great help has been the staff at the Yuma County Superintendent’s Office.
“The staff is most competent, professional, happy and fully aware of the needs of the educational community that it serves,” he said.
Hurt officially began the duties of office on Monday – the same day he was appointed – and he said he looks forward to learning more about what he can do to help the educational community. He hopes to identify and start at least a project or two that will contribute to the community’s success.
“It’ll be good to be able to serve the community,” he said. “My philosophy as an administrator is and always has been to empower people to do their jobs and be there to help in any way that I can. As a community servant, one must be there to help and assist whenever possible.”