Kuhn named by AISD Board as new superintendent of schools
Dr. John Kuhn was named the new superintendent of schools for the Abilene Independent School District during a special meeting called by the AISD Board Thursday morning.
Kuhn’s most recent assignment was superintendent at Mineral Wells ISD. Overall, he has had a 27-year career in public education.
During a press conference at One AISD Center, Kuhn said he was very excited to be the new superintendent.
“I've been blown away by the quality of the staff that I've seen, by the welcome I've received from the staff and the community,” he said. “The nicest people in the world live in Abilene, Texas.”
A looming challenge for the incoming Kuhn is a tighter budget due to falling enrollment, inflationary costs and other factors.
“Yeah, we're going to have to look that closely and look at staffing versus student numbers. I believe in moving cautiously but expeditiously,” Kuhn said, adding that they can’t spend more than they bring in.
“Eighty percent of a typical school district's budget is in payroll. So, we're going to look very closely at our staffing and our student numbers and make sure everything is appropriately set up," he said.
When asked later to clarify those remarks, Kuhn explained that if student numbers aren’t matched properly to staff members, then it might be time to look at hiring freezes or attrition.
“I don't think it's appropriate to jump to the conclusion that there's going to be aggressive reductions in force and things like that. I think time is your friend as you right-size things,” he said.
He added that it is quite possible that they generate enough enthusiasm and excitement in the district that enrollment numbers reverse their decline.
In the April 10 Reporter-News, it was reported that average daily attendance in the district has dropped by 2,135 students since 2019, costing the district over $13 million in state funding.
“I do not have plans to come in here this spring and in the summer, and make severe cuts. My plan is to come in here and study the situation,” Kuhn said. “But the biggest expenditure of a school district is staffing, so that has to be looked at.”
Kuhn struck a reassuring tone, however.
“You know, when you're driving a school bus, you don't jerk the wheel. If you start getting too close to the shoulder, you gradually get back to where you need to be,” he said. “And so time is our friend when it comes to making sure our staff sizes are appropriate for our student size.”
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This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: John Kuhn named by AISD board as new Superintendent of Schools
