At the Lake Hamilton School District Board meeting on Monday, October 21, 2024, Superintendent Shawn Higginbotham announced his decision to retire, effective June 30, 2025. With nearly 35 years in education, Higginbotham expressed that the time felt right to step down, allowing the board ample time to conduct a search for the next superintendent.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the 24 years I’ve had the privilege to serve the Lake Hamilton students, staff, and community. I appreciate the support the Board has provided during these last six years as Superintendent,” Higginbotham shared.
Originally from Hamburg, Arkansas, Higginbotham graduated from Hamburg High School in 1986 before earning his Bachelor’s degree in history and social studies from the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 1990. He later earned his Master’s in Administration and Supervision from Northeast Louisiana University in 1996 and has completed several prestigious leadership programs, including the Arkansas Leadership Academy and the Arkansas Superintendent Academy.
Higginbotham began his career in public education as a sixth-grade teacher at Portland Elementary, later transitioning to Hamburg Junior High where he taught eighth-grade history. His passion for middle grades education led him to serve as the principal of Hamburg Junior High, where he secured a multi-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates and Kellogg Foundations to improve early adolescent teaching and learning. His leadership and commitment to middle school reform were further reflected in his work as a charter member of the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Administrators.
After 11 years in the Hamburg School District, Higginbotham and his wife, Brandi Love Higginbotham, relocated to Hot Springs, where he began his service at Lake Hamilton School District. Over the course of his 24 years at Lake Hamilton, Higginbotham has held various roles, including assistant principal, junior high principal, associate superintendent for finance and personnel, and, since 2019, superintendent of the district.
Higginbotham has also made significant contributions to Arkansas public school financial leadership, serving as past president of both the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators and the Arkansas Association of School Business Officials. His achievements were recognized when he was named the 2017 Truett Goatcher Arkansas School Business Administrator of the Year and the Southeast Association of School Business Officials Outstanding Business Official.
In addition to his work in education, Higginbotham is currently serving his second term as a trustee on the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System Board. He has also been an active member of the Hot Springs community, representing Garland County educators on the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Board.
In an email to district staff announcing his retirement, Higginbotham wrote, "The successes we have experienced are due to the hard work of our dedicated and caring faculty and staff. I’m proud to have been part of that work. I appreciate the abundant support shown to me when I entered Lake Hamilton High School as an assistant principal nearly 25 years ago."
As Higginbotham looks forward to his retirement, he remains focused on the district’s current goals. "There will be time for reflection as we move through the rest of the school year. For now, we have students to serve and schools to improve. I pledge to continue this important work through the 2024-25 school year," he added.