After a months-long process involving an outside consulting firm and a nationwide search, the Hillsboro School Board has announced its three finalists for the Superintendent position: Jon Franco of Portland Public Schools; Rita Raichoudhuri, most recently of Kalamazoo Public Schools in Michigan; and Travis Reiman of the Hillsboro School District.
Each of the finalists will participate in a full day of school visits and meetings with various stakeholder groups, including an open session for the community. Below is the schedule for each candidate, with Raichoudhuri on Monday, April 10; Reiman on Wednesday, April 12; and Franco on Thursday, April 13:
| Activity | Time | Audience |
| Meet with Unions | 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. | Licensed and Classified Union Representatives |
| Tour of Schools | 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. | Led by Board Chair Watson and Assistant Superintendent Neville |
| Lunch with Cabinet | 11 a.m. to noon | Cabinet members |
| Community Leaders Forum | 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | By invitation; Zoom and in-person attendance options (District Administration Center, room 100) |
| Staff Forum | 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. | Open to all interested staff members; Zoom and in-person attendance options (AC 100) |
| Community Forum | 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. | Open to all interested community members; Zoom and in-person attendance options (AC 100) |
| Dinner with Board | 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Various locations, Board members and candidate only |
| Interview with Board | 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Board members and candidate only |
Dr. Jon Franco is the Chief of Schools within Portland Public Schools overseeing the Office of School Performance responsible for the effective supervision of over 81 schools and programs in the largest school district in Oregon. The Office of School Performance is charged with providing leadership, support, mentoring and professional development for all building leadership in Portland. Dr. Franco is proud of his work in Portland helping to redefine the School Improvement Planning process, incorporating professional development around data literacy, collective efficacy, and collaborating with other district leaders to implement a new Instructional Framework and new English Language Arts and Math curriculums district-wide.Â
Before becoming Chief of Schools in Portland, Dr. Franco worked for the Beaverton School District, where he served as the Executive Administrator of High Schools, Option Schools, and Athletics & Activities. Under Dr. Franco’s leadership, the Beaverton School District posted its highest high school graduation rate to date, celebrating 89.6% of students graduating in the class of 2022. Prior to that, he was the principal of Westview High School in Beaverton, the 3rd largest high school in the state at the time.
Jon has served students in several capacities, in a variety of school districts. He began as a math and science teacher in Patterson, California, followed by elementary, middle and high school assistant principal positions in Gustine, California. His transition to Oregon began at St. Helens High School, where he was also an assistant principal, followed by his time spent at Century High School in Hillsboro. He also worked as a middle school principal in Newberg for several years.
As an equity driven, relationship-oriented leader, Jon has been able to positively impact students and systems in many districts. Jon’s extensive work with racial equity, standards-based learning and assessment, attendance, and student interventions has, in Jon’s words: “uniquely prepared him to be the type of leader that he is today.”He describes himself as a “lifelong student and learner” and is immensely excited about the prospect of rejoining the Hillsboro School District as superintendent. Jon received both his Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Teaching degrees from Willamette University. He also holds an Educational Specialist degree from Lewis and Clark College in addition to a Doctoral degree from George Fox University. Jon is the proud father of a junior at the University of Oregon and a freshman at Mountainside High School in Beaverton. His wife, Lisa, has been a teacher at Lenox Elementary School in the HIllsboro School District for 17 years.
Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri is a life-long educator and has experience as a classroom teacher, teacher leader, principal, and district leader. Most recently Raichoudhuri served as Superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) in Michigan guiding the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, where the district was recognized as one with some of the highest academic gains despite the pandemic.Â
She also founded the Equity Task Force – a multi-stakeholder group focused on identifying and addressing equity issues in the district. Under her leadership, the district started its first youth apprenticeship program, its first grow your own teacher pipeline program, its first newcomer program for refugee families, its first virtual school, and established a Social Emotional Learning Center. The district also passed the largest bond in its history with the highest percentage under Raichoudhuri’s leadership.
Before joining KPS, Raichoudhuri worked for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) from 2010 to 2020. She was executive director of Early College and Career Education for CPS from 2017 to 2020, implementing processes to provide students with rigorous, career-focused courses and launching high-quality STEM classes. She established secondary-to-employment pipeline programs that helped students gain college credit, professional credentials, and the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century. She helped establish Jumpstart to Jobs, which allowed students earn early college and career credentials; FastTrack, a collaboration with the City Colleges of Chicago to provide students with post-high school internships; and the district’s first registered apprenticeship program.
From 2012 to 2017, she was the resident principal then principal of Wells Community Academy High School, where she increased attendance, graduation rates, and the freshman on-track rate. Raichoudhuri’s other positions within CPS were director of the Office of Professional Learning and senior manager of the Office of Performance.
Raichoudhuri started her career in education as a middle-school English and Social Studies teacher in California. Raichoudhuri holds a doctorate in urban education leadership from the University of Illinois, Chicago; a master’s in education from Chapman University; and a bachelor’s in environmental sciences from the University of California, Davis.Â
Hillsboro School District Assistant Superintendent Travis Reiman began his career at North Eugene Alternative High School as an instructional assistant and has worked as a teacher and professional development specialist in schools in northwest Oregon, as well as in the states of Jalisco and Hidalgo in Mexico. Prior to assuming his current role, Travis served as elementary school principal, Director of English Learner and Migrant Programs, as well as Executive Director of Teaching & Learning. He has led investment in curriculum and technology tools to support instruction from early literacy to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Travis serves on the Executive Leadership Team of the Portland Metro STEM Partnership.  Â
Travis is bilingual in English and Spanish and has been a passionate advocate for bilingual education and for unlocking the linguistic and cultural assets of students, families, and staff. During his tenure, the Hillsboro School District has expanded Dual Language programming to 3,300 students annually, including over 100 teachers who deliver instruction in Spanish and English from preschool through 12th grade. Travis led the creation of the first Bilingual Seal to be offered on high school diplomas, awarded to students who demonstrate proficiency in English and another language prior to graduation.
Travis supported families in creating a Native American Parent Advisory Committee, winning a federal grant to form and sustain a group of families to improve the experience of indigenous students in Hillsboro. He later supported families in forming the Black Village Family Advisory Committee, a group that supports the success of students who identify as Black, African American, and African. In 2020, Travis was honored with the Tom Ruhl Ally Award from the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators for his leadership in the state.
Travis is a recognized leader in the advancement of career and technical education (CTE), including community partnerships across industry sectors such as education, healthcare, aerospace, sustainable agriculture, and advanced manufacturing. Under his leadership, the Hillsboro School District has expanded to 35 CTE programs and created the only Registered Youth Apprenticeship in the State of Oregon. Travis is a bridge builder between PK-12 education, colleges, workforce systems, and the Bureau of Labor and Industry in order to create viable pathways for students from cradle to career. He currently serves as a K-12 education representative on Gov. Kotek’s Workforce and Talent Development Board.
