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Under the leadership reorganization announced by Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara, three region superintendents will supervise all CCSD schools. In this newsletter and coming issues, we will profile the new region superintendents, beginning with Grant Hanevold.
Grant Hanevold’s nearly 30-year career in public education has been distinguished and spanned the spectrum. The 2015 Nevada Principal of the Year has been a teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, principal and central office administrator. Hanevold has served in elementary, middle and high schools. He has worked in both urban and rural settings.
Hanevold – the youngest of 11 children, seven of whom would become educators – was raised in a small farming community in North Dakota. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1990, with a bachelor’s degree in Middle School Math Education and Elementary Education, before moving to Las Vegas to teach in the Clark County School District.
The first 10 years of his service in CCSD were in the classroom, teaching math, so he understands firsthand the everyday challenges that teachers face. “Student achievement is directly correlated to the effectiveness of the classroom teacher, so it is critically important that all members of the school community support the classroom teacher,” Hanevold says.
Hanevold began his administrative career as a dean of students at O’Callaghan Middle School. In 2002, Hanevold became assistant principal of Harney Middle School and, just one year later, was promoted to principal.
In 2006, he was named principal of Moapa Valley High School, which attained empowerment status two years later. During his leadership, the high school achieved academic success, increasing its proficiency test scores, AP scores, ACT scores and the graduation rate. “I believe that managing schools under a fully collaborative process, with the assistance of all stakeholders, provides the best opportunity for students to thrive,” he says.
In March 2013, he was appointed principal at Sunrise Mountain High School, one of the lowest-performing high schools in the state. In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal a few months later, as he prepared for his first full year on the job, Hanevold made it clear he wasn’t going to entertain excuses for the high school’s performance.
“I refuse to lower my expectations for Sunrise Mountain High School” because of where it’s located, the socio-economic value of the community, or second language and demographics, Hanevold told the Review-Journal. In the first year alone, the school went from a graduation rate of 47 percent to 60-plus percent. The second year saw continued gains, with a 6 percentage point increase. Today, the school’s graduation rate is over 93 percent.
In the fall of 2015, Hanevold was promoted to Assistant Chief Student Achievement Officer. Two years later, he became the School Associate Superintendent of Performance Zone 2, and now he is a region superintendent under Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara’s reorganization plan.
“I’m humbled and honored to work in this capacity, and I am committed to providing the best educational environment for all staff, students, and parents,” he says.
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Did you know?
Grant Hanevold is married to Jennifer Hanevold, who teaches at Lyon Middle School in Overton. Their blended family includes six children, and they have two grandchildren.
Quotable
“We love the Minnesota Vikings so, unfortunately, we are often depressed.”
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