Hilldale High School
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Hilldale Public Schools is an Independent School District located in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The district was started in 1908 as a one-room school and has grown to a current student body of 1800 learners in Pre-K through Grade 12. Two modern campuses now provide facilities for Elementary and Secondary needs. Hilldale has a proud 90+ year tradition of educating area children. If your home is located in the district please contact us for more information about programs or enrollment.
Board of Education
Missy Griffith
Rick Carbone
Carl Frazier
Eldon Schoonover
Terry Breedlove
Administrative Office 500 E Smith Ferry Rd Muskogee, OK 74403-8639 918.683.0273 - Phone 918.683.8725 - Fax
High School: Principal: John Engelbrecht Assistant Principal: Steve Barton Secretary: Sharee Rains Secretary: Rachel Allen
Rocked by an administrative scandal in 2007, the current set up of Hilldale looks vastly different than it did this time last year. Long time principal Dewayne Pemberton was delivered an unbearable blow. Sold out by once friend, later turned "Judas", then assistant prinical and current athletic director Darren Riddle and school superintendant D.B. Merrill began a long and ugly battle against Pemberton. Pemberton was placed on suspension with pay pending a due process hearing that would determine his fate. No one knew that this issue would create such a media frenzy, as well as an uproar in the community. Students, faculty, and parents were outraged and began a long and tiring effort to save our prinicpal.
In March of 2007, the due process hearing was held in the Hilldale Event Center to the tune of over 2,000 supporters and a local media. The hearing lasted until the wee hours of Saturday morning when the verdict was finally reached. The Hilldale School Board voted 3-2 to fire Pemberton. Missy Griffith and Rick Carbone were the only two that voted to keep Pemberton as Hilldale High School principal. After the desperate pleas from the community, board members Carl Frazier, Eldon Schoonover, and Terry Breedlove did what everyone was hoping they wouldn't, they voted to fire the long time and beloved prinipal.
The decision created uproar and complete chaos in the hallways following the announcement.
Prior to the hearing, students showed their support by getting the word out in the community, walking out of class, silent marches before school hours, and peaceful protests. Following the hearing, students again were walking out of class with teachers' apporval. However there were some cases in where things got out of hand and increased security was soon seen.
By the first of April, Pemberton was again seen in the hallways of Hilldale after receiving an injunction that gave him his job back for the rest of the school year. The reasons were because it was apparent that nothing was being done to keep control of the school, with the students virtually controlling what went on in the hallways.
The class of 2007 did what they felt was an honorable thing in voting Pemberton as the tassle turner for their graduation ceremony. Although some students felt the vote was rigged, it didn't become an issue.
Pemberton is now an assistant principal at Muskogee High School.
