The North Summit Board of Education chose Murdock as superintendent at its meeting last month.
“We're lucky here,” Murdock told KPCW. “I've had the opportunity to work in all three buildings in our district. Our district does very well. It's not like I'm walking into a district that's struggling or in need of major overhaul.”
The school district scores well: North Summit students score particularly high in math and postsecondary preparedness.
Murdock said retiring Superintendent Jerre Holmes is already including him in important meetings and operations to assist in the transition.
“He's been a big help, and I do appreciate that, but it's going to still be a learning experience and something that is going to be different than I've been doing for a long time,” Murdock said.
Murdock inherits one key challenge. The North Summit School District has outdated infrastructure, according to its board. The school board put a $114 million bond on last November’s ballot to fund a new North Summit High School.
Voters rejected the measure, but the board says the nearly 50-year-old building must still be replaced.
The aging building’s limits are something Murdock said he’s seen first hand, previously as the high school principal.
“I have been a part of a couple different bonds down in Morgan district. It wasn't necessarily the high school that was being built, but they were in the process of building an elementary and a middle school,” he said. “I understand on the surface what it is and what it entails, but I know it's not an easy process.”
The board may put a bond on the ballot again this year.
Murdock comes to the superintendent role after serving as the principal of North Summit Middle School. But his 30-year career in education has been as winding as it is long.
He attended Utah State University and transferred to Weber State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology, health and teaching. After graduation, the Morgan native taught in Wendover, Utah, for a year and then at Morgan Middle School before pursuing a master’s degree in counseling and a certificate in administration.
After that, he bounced between Morgan and North Summit.
Murdock has been principal at Morgan High School, North Summit Elementary School, North Summit High School and North Summit Middle School twice.
He enjoyed his time at the Morgan County School District, but North Summit is where the Henefer resident has made his home.
“I still remember driving to a game. My wife was following our daughter. I'm driving to a Morgan game, and I'm like, ‘I’ve got to do something different. I’ve got to get up there where I can watch my own kids play,’” he said.
His youngest daughter is graduating from North Summit High School this month.
