​Serving as Superintendent of Hickman Mills C-1 has been the greatest honor of my professional life. Over the past five years, we have walked a journey together, one defined by resilience, progress, and a shared belief in the brilliance of our students. I am deeply grateful for your trust and support during this time. 
 

To be clear, my departure is  “without cause.”  There has been no misconduct, financial impropriety, or any of the typical grounds for dismissal. I remain proud of the integrity with which I’ve served. While I typically let results speak for themselves, I’ve chosen to share this reflection to counter recent speculation and, more importantly, to celebrate the collective accomplishments of our district. 
 

When I arrived, we set out to build the  Future We Want,  anchored in achievement and innovation. Together, we turned that vision into reality. Our educators, central to student success saw their salaries rise from the lowest in the region to number one, setting a new regional benchmark for teacher value and respect. That investment paid off. For the first time in over a decade, we surpassed the state’s academic benchmark, achieving a 75.2% score and placing Hickman Mills on the brink of full accreditation. This past week, we received our new scores and they are even higher. Congratulations—  you did it!  Graduation rates soared to 92.1%, a testament to the hard work of our students, families, and educators. 

We celebrated milestones that once seemed out of reach. Robotics teams from our middle schools became champions in regionals. Math relay victories made our students proud. Ruskin High scholars earned over $10 million in scholarships breaking stereotypes and building futures. One of our own was even named Regional Teacher of the Year. And through the  Student Above and Beyond Award  , what began as a $10,000 personal donation grew into a culture-shaping recognition program that lifted student voices and values. 
 

We also reimagined how schools serve students through innovation. We faced tough truths about safety and culture but didn’t shy away. With your partnership, we invested $2.5 million in advanced security systems creating the first fully networked Nexus Safety System in the country, earning national recognition and a Superintendent nomination for the  National Safety & Innovation Award. 
 

Our focus on inclusive education grew as well. Special needs programming expanded. Alternative pathways were developed. The redesign of our middle schools centered on Fine Arts and STEAM led to increased enrollment, affirming the trust families placed in us. 
 

And we didn’t stop there. Our Real World Learning Center gave students access to pathways 
beyond the traditional classroom from biomedical tech to entrepreneurship, welding, and first responder training. Our student-run coffee shop became a living lab, where leadership and business acumen thrive daily. 
 

None of this progress would have been possible without strong financial leadership. In 2020, we implemented disciplined fiscal strategies that led to clean audits year after year, historic surpluses, and two successful bond measures in just three years. These resources modernized our buildings and secured a fund balance that reached an all-time high of 54%. Even after federal pandemic relief ended, we remained over 25%. 
 

Perhaps one of the most meaningful milestones was launching the  Around the Globe Initiative giving students the opportunity to travel to Ghana and China. For many, it was their first time flying, holding a passport, or experiencing life outside their community. These trips opened minds and hearts changing not just perspectives, but possibilities. 
 

I leave this role with deep gratitude and pride. The progress we made is not mine alone. it is ours. My hope is that these efforts will not only endure but grow stronger in the years ahead. Thank you for believing in what we could build—together. 
 

HMC1 … be RELENTLESS!! 
 

With gratitude, 
Yaw Obeng 
 

If you’d like to support or be part of the send-off celebration, please reach out to 
bboerger516@gmail.com  with  “Support”  in the subject  line. 
 

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