In an period of public faculty management shakeups, Superintendent John Craft plans to retire from Northside Unbiased Faculty District after serving as its head administrator for simply three years.
Northside ISD is San Antonio’s largest faculty district, and one of many largest statewide, serving round 99,000 college students throughout greater than 100 colleges.
Craft introduced his exit and plans to formally go away the position round January, mentioned a district spokesperson on Tuesday.
In an announcement, Craft summarized his profession in public training has been about “creating optimum studying alternatives” for college kids throughout Texas.
“The event of performance-driven groups, together with intentional planning and deliberate actions with the assist and collaboration of so many wonderful leaders, has all the time been with college students’ finest pursuits on the core of our collective efforts,” Craft mentioned.
Hailing from the Fort Price area, Craft kicked off his training profession in 1999 as a highschool biology trainer at Carroll ISD, whereas additionally teaching baseball and soccer. He moved up the ladder, serving as assistant principal, principal and later being employed as superintendent of faculties in Hamilton ISD in 2010.
He later grew to become superintendent for Killeen ISD earlier than turning into Northside ISD’s chief in February 2023.
When Craft was first named as a sole finalist for NISD’s superintendency, he mentioned he would have loads to be taught however was excited concerning the studying alternatives for his then-high faculty daughters.
Whereas he plans to retire from public training, Craft intends to maintain serving “larger public pursuits,” mentioned spokesperson Barry Perez.
Beneath Craft’s management, NISD opened its boundaries to college students throughout Bexar County, increasing faculty alternative and placing up a proactive protection towards the state’s new faculty voucher program.
Like most faculty districts in San Antonio, NISD has additionally seen historic declining enrollment, leading to a multi-year price range deficit, price range cuts and restaffing.
NISD is presently present process an “optimization” course of to take care of the income loss, which may embrace campus consolidation, increasing progressive faculty fashions and different methods to save cash and entice college students.
Craft’s announcement comes six months after Superintendent Sean Maika at North East ISD left for one more position and three months after Superintendent Jaime Aquino at San Antonio ISD introduced his exit.
NISD, NEISD and SAISD are town’s three largest faculty districts — all are experiencing falling enrollment and multimillion price range deficits.
On the identical time, Judson ISD, the fourth-largest district, is presently being run by an interim chief after superintendent Milton Fields was pushed out by the varsity board after a months-long bitter saga.
NEISD rapidly changed Maika with Anthony Jarrett, naming him the lone finalist for the superintendent’s workplace in Could. Board members at SAISD are presently interviewing candidates and hope to call a finalist earlier than July. Judson ISD has not made strikes to search for an official new chief but.
NISD’s board plans to fulfill June 9 to contemplate and focus on a transition plan for locating Craft’s successor.
Board President Karla Duran, mentioned she was “deeply” grateful for Craft’s dedication to the district’s college students.
“As he begins a brand new chapter, I want him continued success, achievement, and happiness in all of his future endeavors,” she mentioned in a textual content message. “I perceive the significance of constructing robust selections as leaders and we want him continued blessings. Que diosito lo bendiga.”
For Craft, it’s “all the time been about creating alternatives for college kids.”
“Serving the scholars and the Northside ISD group has been the privilege of a lifetime,” he mentioned.
