San Antonio Standard

The San Antonio area’s largest public school district has named an administrator from Central Texas as its next leader, per reports from San Antonio-based media outlets.

The Northside Independent School District’s (NISD) school board announced the hiring of Dr. John Craft to the superintendent position on Tuesday, March 21, San Antonio FOX affiliate KABB reported.

Per KABB, Craft had been NISD’s lone finalist since late February.

School districts are required by Texas law to wait three weeks before formally offering a candidate a contract.

"We've been looking forward to this day for about the last three weeks and it's going to be a great experience," Craft, who comes to San Antonio from the Killeen Independent School District (KISD), said, the station reported. “We're so excited to be able to serve the students, the staff, the parents and the community here at Northside ISD.”

An NISD-issued press release said that Craft, an educator who possesses nearly 25 years of experience, will succeed Dr. Brian Woods, who is retiring after 31 years with the district effective at the end of the current academic year. 

According to the release, Craft said that he and his wife learned a lot during their visit of NISD, which serves a part of San Antonio proper and its suburbs of Grey Forest, Leon Valley, Shavano Park and Helotes in the northwest and is the fourth-largest in the state. 

“We simply could not pass up the opportunity to be a part of such a special organization so deliberately focused on student growth and success,” Craft said, per NISD. “I remain humbled, excited and eager to learn from and grow with the Northside team.”

Per San Antonio Report, NISD trustees unanimously named Craft for the job, with his interest in the whole child having been a key factor. 

Craft, who is helming a district that’s over twice the size of Killeen, said his experiences 146 miles north will serve him well in his new role. 

“I feel like there are a lot of experiences that are absolutely going to translate to Northside ISD, but at the same time, I’ve got a lot to learn,” he said on the website. 

The Temple-born Craft holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas (UNT) and a doctorate from Tarleton State University and is married with two children.