OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation of Excellence (OFE) honored Lawton Public Schools (LPS) Superintendent Kevin Hime with the 2024 Medal of Excellence Award for his contributions to the district as an administrator.
Hime, along with four other recipients, will be honored at OFE’s 38th annual Academic Awards Celebration on Saturday, May 4, at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Since Hime’s arrival in December 2019, his innovative programs have transformed LPS. Hime and staff collaborated with Great Plains Technology Center and Cameron University to open the Life Ready Center (LRC). The LRC provides high school students access to programs and concurrent classes previously available at only one of the district’s campuses. To assist the LRC’s mission, Hime established a partnership in which the Lawton Public School Foundation covers funding for books and fees for students while they are enrolled at LPS.
“To help our students achieve success, we must be willing to think outside of the box and provide opportunities to achieve what I call one of the 3E’s: enrolled, enlisted, or employed,” Hime said. “If these opportunities do not currently exist, we cannot be afraid to step up and create them ourselves.”
Under Hime’s leadership, the district implemented a 5,000-student virtual school and also started the Lawton Technical Applications Program, which provides hands-on, career-oriented classes to students in seventh through 10th grades. Makerspaces were also implemented on all 18 elementary campuses, which are STEM programs designed to encourage student collaboration to explore and create using the engineering process.
Since 2020, Hime has hosted his “Time with Hime” podcast to communicate with school staff, families and stakeholders more effectively. He also organized and hosted the popular weekly #OklaEd chat on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“To foster a sense of unity, it is vital for me, my staff, families, and stakeholders of our community to work together as a team,” Hime said. “This can only be done with effective and purposeful communication.”
OFE awards an outstanding state educator in each of the following categories: Elementary Teaching, Secondary Teaching, Administration, Regional University & Community College Teaching and Research University Teaching.
“Each of these public school educators has made an indelible impact on their students, school and community,” OFE Executive Director Elizabeth Inbody said. “We are honored to make them the recipients of the Medal for Excellence, one of the state’s most prestigious teaching awards. We hope that their passion and innovation will inspire and encourage others in their support of public education.”
The celebration will also honor 100 Oklahoma public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters. Their names will be released in the coming week. To learn more about the foundation and event, visit OFE.org.