Beaverton School District Hires New Superintendent, Starts July 1

BEAVERTON, OR — A national search for a new superintendent for the Beaverton School District has found a nationally acclaimed replacement for retiring superintendent Don Grotting.

Gustavo Balderas was the 2020 National Superintendent of the Year, according to the American School Superintendents Association.

He begins in Beaverton on July 1 after Grotting's retirement.

"I will continue to work with staff and community on improving an already phenomenal school system to ensure that we're meeting the needs of all students n the district," Balderas said Wednesday.

"We need to engage our kids to help them define their own successes as they progress."

Balderas's hiring marks a sort-of homecoming for him.

He began his career in Hillsboro, starting as a teacher, then working his way up the ladder as a counselor, assistant principal, principal, district administrator, and assistant superintendent.

While he worked in Hillsboro, Balderas and his family lived in Beaverton and his two sons attended Beaverton schools.

After Hillsboro, he he worked as superintendent of the Madera Unified School District in California followed by similar gigs in California's Ocean View School District, and the Eugene School District.

He has spent the past two years as superintendent of the Edmonds School District in Washington.

The son of Mexican immigrants who worked in the fields, following the crops up and down the West Coast, Balderas said that his experience growing up helps him relate to issues faced by many students.

"I understand first-hand some of the barriers that students face – those in poverty and those navigating a new language and culture," he said.

"These experiences will help me connect with students and families and help identify ways to meet the needs of our students furthest from educational justice."

School board chairman Tom Colett praised Balderas as "a nationally recognized leader who understands the complexities of the Oregon educational system and is ready to hit the ground running in Beaverton."