Justin Lawson Steps Into Hillsboro R-3 Buildings and Grounds Role With a Focus on Service, Efficiency, and People

When Justin Lawson talks about the Hillsboro R-3 School District, he does not talk like someone simply taking a new job. He talks like someone coming home.

Lawson, a Hillsboro High School graduate and longtime district employee, has been named the district’s next Director of Buildings and Grounds. For him, the role is personal. He was born and raised in Hillsboro, graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1999, worked in the heating and cooling industry for about a decade, and then found his way back to the school district in 2011.

Since then, Lawson said his focus has been simple: keep the district moving, save money where possible, and make sure students and staff have the facilities they need to learn and work comfortably.

For many families, school buildings are easy to overlook when everything is working. The classrooms are heated in the winter, cooled in the fall and spring, the lights come on, the doors open, the fields are maintained, and the buildings are ready when students arrive. But behind all of that is a maintenance and grounds team that keeps the district functioning.

A Hands-On Background

Lawson understands that work from the ground up.

Over the years, he has brought a wide range of hands-on skills to the district. He described himself as multifaceted, with experience in heating and cooling, concrete, carpentry, roofing, welding, and general maintenance. He is also a certified welder. Those skills, he said, have allowed him to help the district solve problems internally, conserve resources, and save money.

He also remembers what it was like to be a student in Hillsboro buildings years ago, including the uncomfortable days when classrooms were too hot or building issues could affect the school day. That experience helped shape the pride he takes in keeping facilities operating well for today’s students.

“It’s all about service. I am serving my community. I am serving the teachers. I am serving the students.”

As he steps into leadership, Lawson’s vision goes beyond buildings, budgets, and equipment. He sees the job as a service role.

Lawson said the district has nearly $200 million in building assets, not including property value, making the responsibility a significant one. He said Hillsboro R-3 already has strong momentum, from facility improvements to new learning spaces, and he wants to help build on that progress while maintaining what the district already has.

Building Up the Team

That sense of service also shapes how Lawson wants to lead the department internally.

Lawson said one of his goals is to rebuild and strengthen a family environment among staff. He remembers a time when that feeling was especially strong and believes that, after COVID and staffing changes, it is important to refocus on morale, support, and recognition.

He wants employees to feel valued not just by supervisors, but by the broader school community. Maintenance, custodial, and grounds employees often do work that is essential but unseen. Lawson said he wants to highlight the people who have stayed, served, and given their time to the district and its students.

“I want a really good work environment where everybody can’t wait to get back to work.”

Lawson also wants to help employees grow in their skills. He teaches as an adjunct instructor in the HVAC program at Jefferson College, a role he said has helped reconnect him with his roots in the trades. He enjoys watching students move from frustration to understanding, especially when they finally have the “aha” moment that helps them push through a challenge.

That same approach, he said, will carry into the district’s maintenance and custodial teams. Lawson said he wants to cross-train staff, teach what he can, and give employees more confidence in their abilities. To him, that is not just about efficiency. It is also about creating a workplace where people feel capable, supported, and ready to do good work.

Recognition and Responsibility

Lawson was also recently named the district’s 2025-2026 Support Staff Employee of the Year. He said the recognition was meaningful, though it was initially difficult to accept because he has always viewed himself as someone working behind the scenes.

Now, he hopes to use that recognition to encourage others. Lawson said being the first maintenance or custodial employee to receive that honor shows others in those roles that their work matters and that recognition is possible for anyone who serves well.

As Lawson prepares to lead the Buildings and Grounds Department, his goals are rooted in the same approach that brought him to this point: work hard, serve others, support the team, and keep the district moving forward.

For Lawson, the job is about more than fixing buildings. It is about creating the conditions where students can learn, teachers can teach, and staff members can take pride in the work they do. His message is simple: adapt, overcome, persevere, keep a positive mindset, and keep moving forward.