Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick L. Robins has announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2026. Robins has led Canyons, one of Utah’s largest K-12 school districts, for six years.
Robins, who started his career 30 years ago as a high school social studies teacher and football coach, guided Canyons through a period of great change and innovation. He was appointed during the 2020 pandemic, a global health crisis with vast local implications. Alongside education colleagues and health professionals, Robins helped steer CSD’s 47 schools and programs through the school year marked with COVID-19 health and wellness restrictions.
As Superintendent, Robins focused on supporting school employees through additional planning and professional development time, enhanced personal and maternity leave benefits, and the hiring of assistant principals for CSD’s elementary schools. He connected with employees — and heard their concerns and suggestions — during Superintendent Listening Tours, held regularly throughout the year.
Alongside the Canyons Board of Education, Robins also helped guide the creation and implementation of CSD’s first-ever Strategic Plan, which is CSD’s blueprint for growth for the coming decade and beyond.
Robins’ superintendency was marked by the opening of three rebuilt or renovated high schools, a middle school, and two elementary schools. Major renovation work also has either recently been completed or is underway at Eastmont Middle and Jordan High.
A historic moment during Robins’ tenure in CSD was the purchase of the former regional headquarters of the tech giant eBay. The Draper building was acquired to house the Canyons Innovation Center, which is on track to open in August 2027. The new technical-training center will prepare students as early as high school for immediate entry to high-demand careers in healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, and broadcasting and other industries.
In recent weeks, Robins and the CSD leadership team learned that Canyons had been awarded a $17.2 million Catalyst Center Implementation Grant from the Utah State Board of Education, a major investment that will help transform the Canyons Innovation Center into a cutting-edge learning hub focused on career readiness.
Before arriving in Canyons, Robins served as Juab District Superintendent and principal and assistant principal in the Alpine, Nebo and Juab school districts. He is a native of Scipio and attended Southern Utah University where he earned a spot in the SUU Athletic Hall of Fame as a four-year starting quarterback. He earned his doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
