L. Kim Lewis was born at Dallas Methodist Hospital in 1953. He grew up in Midlothian where he graduated High School in 1971. Little did he know at the time that his career in education had been launched in 1970 when he became a bus driver for Midlothian ISD as a seventeen year old.Shortly after graduation from UTA, Kim was hired as the Assistant Bookkeeper for Cedar Hill ISD in 1976 under Supt. Bill Kennedy. CHISD had only 900 students and 100 employees at the time. Thirty one years and six Superintendents later, Kim was appointed Chief Operating Officer by Superintendent Horace Williams. By contrast, CHISD now has over 8,100 students and 1,000 employees.
Although Kim has witnessed a lot of change in Cedar Hill over his 35 year career, he fondly recalls one of the most challenging, yet rewarding times for him was a 9 month period in 1987 when he and then Curriculum Director, Carmyn Douglas, were appointed Co-Acting Superintendent. The Board of Trustees was involved in a state-wide search for a superintendent. The District was involved in preparation for a multi-million bond election and simultaneously working to counter a tax rollback petition. As Kim remembers it, “Carmyn and I were at some sort of community meeting every night of the week. Our opposition was strong and well organized. However, by the time it was all over, our opponents had become our good friends.” The bond package eventually passed and the citizens turned back the rollback petition.
Kim lives southeast of Midlothian on the farm that his great grandfather purchased in 1892. Outside of the two jobs he loves the most (CHISD and Midlothian Bible Church treasurer), his favorite pastimes include hunting, fishing and hiking “fourteeners” in Colorado.
