Meet the Superintendent

I am honored and humbled to lead a district of approximately 1,500 full and part-time dedicated employees who serve students and families every single day with professionalism, compassion, and pride. Our teachers and staff continue to support a diverse community of learners through rigorous academics, Fine Arts, Career and Technical Education (CTE), extracurricular opportunities, and essential supports designed to help every student thrive.

Great Falls is a diverse and vibrant community enriched by a strong Indigenous culture, a proud military affiliation, and deeply rooted family values centered on hard work, resilience, and service to others. Those values are reflected throughout our schools, classrooms, activities, and partnerships. I remain incredibly proud of the work we do together on behalf of the children and families of our community.

One of the areas we are especially proud of is our “Kindergarten to Capstone” approach to Career and Technical Education. Students begin exploring future pathways early through experiences such as Ag Days for our elementary students and continue through increasingly advanced opportunities that connect learning to real-world careers. In 2026-2027 we will see the 49^th High School House built, witness the start of a new cosmetology program, and watch our youngest learners see CTE through the eyes of practicing professionals. From organizations and businesses that have historically anchored our community to new partners helping us grow and innovate, these relationships strengthen opportunities for students and families across our district.

We are also excited to continue growing our own future educators through the CORE School. Cohort Three of our CORE School teacher assistants will begin a year-long student teaching residency this fall. These aspiring educators are preparing to enter the profession with hands-on experience and are already looking ahead to polishing their resumes for the 2027–2028 hiring season, which opens in January. Preparing and retaining high-quality educators remains one of our district’s highest priorities.

Our teachers and staff continue to do extraordinary work on behalf of students despite the difficult financial realities facing public education. We are proud of the thoughtful and collaborative work it took to balance the budget while maintaining our commitment to students and classrooms. However, without significant changes to the historic state funding formula for public education, balancing future budgets without additional public support will become increasingly difficult. The 2027 legislative session will be critically important for Great Falls Public Schools, our families, and our broader community. We remain committed to educating legislators and policy leaders about the realities facing public schools and the importance of adequately funding the future of Montana’s children.

Heather S. Hoyer
Superintendent
406-268-6001