Dear friends,
On December 30, 2025, I suffered a serious heart attack – a “widowmaker,” with 100% blockage of my left anterior descending (LAD) artery and 80% blockage of my circumflex. Thankfully, I was at home at the time; my wife and children called 911 and acted quickly to treat me with aspirin.
The amazing firefighters and EMTs from the Abilene Fire Department arrived within minutes to administer an EKG, nitroglycerin, and other lifesaving measures. I was rushed to one of our incredible Hendrick hospitals, where a team of skilled medical professionals was waiting and swarmed me like bees. From the onset of the heart attack to the installation of stents was likely under an hour. This rapid intervention hopefully saved my heart muscle from more permanent damage than might have otherwise occurred. I am profoundly grateful for the skill and professionalism that saved my life that day.
I am very blessed to still be here with my family. I feel good, and I am currently undergoing cardiac rehab while aggressively changing my diet and exercise habits.
I share this not for sympathy, but to let you know that due to this event, I have made the difficult decision to step aside as Superintendent of Schools for Abilene ISD. My last day as acting superintendent will be June 30, 2026.
I’ve been working closely with the devoted members of the AISD Board of Trustees to prepare a thoughtful transition plan. This will ensure the momentum we’ve achieved together over the last year-plus isn’t lost or slowed. The mark of a true leader, in my opinion, is whether their influence outlasts their presence.
With full confidence in the AISD leadership team, I can assure you that AISD’s progress is just getting started. There are exciting things in the pipeline. Our work to improve student learning, boost our relationship with the community, enhance our facilities, solidify our finances, and shift the narrative about who we are will continue unabated. I believe I have modeled a style of leadership for an eager team and equipped those around me to continue this good work with a spirit of intentional, selfless service. I have seen the brightly shining commitment of this team to our families who deserve excellence, and I do not believe this change will dim their light at all.
I’m not sure exactly what is next for me, but that isn't the point of this letter. What matters is the future of Abilene ISD and its mission to prepare the children of Abilene, Texas, for their brightest tomorrows. That mission continues, and I have complete faith in our Trustees to find a leader who can take our current work across the finish line.
Thank you, Abilene, for all the support you’ve shown and for being such an amazing home for my wife and me. We intend to stay right here. While I am sorry to step away, I want to extend my life by choosing a path with a little less stress and a more intentional focus on my health. My time in leadership here, though much shorter than I intended, has been extremely gratifying and, I hope, successful. My only goal in every superintendency I’ve ever held has been to leave things better for the people who count on me. I hope I’ve done that for you here in Abilene.
I will always be a massive supporter of this school district and the human beings who make it work. I offer my deepest gratitude to the educators – and in my book, everyone who works in any capacity in a school system is an educator – who invest their careers in loving and bettering the children of Abilene. You have something very special in Abilene ISD.
I also want to thank my colleagues in our surrounding ISDs and at Region 14; I’m pleased to have made such fine new friends here in the Big Country.
I want to end by specifically thanking the many amazing students I’ve gotten to know. I’ve seen incredible character and talent in our classrooms, at stock shows, on playing surfaces, on stages, in shops, and in labs. Kids today are awesome. Don't believe the people who say otherwise – they just don't know enough kids.
In the end, none of this is about me. It’s about them – our students. God bless them, and God bless the adults who care about them every day more than they care about themselves. It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve in this special place. Thank you for letting me be a small part of the great work God is doing in and through the Abilene Independent School District.
#chooseabilene
John
