Stream the Meeting | View the Agenda | Learn More About the Board
The Abilene ISD Board of Trustees held a regular meeting Monday, May 11 at the AISD Administration Building. Board meetings are open to the public, and community members are invited to attend in person or watch online through AISD Live. Future meeting dates are available at www.abileneisd.org/board.
Superintendent’s Announcements | 3:30
During his final meeting leading the Board as Abilene ISD superintendent, Dr. John Kuhn previewed end-of-year celebrations for the Class of 2026, including Special Education and Adult Education graduations, Senior Academic Award ceremonies, Senior Walks at AISD elementary schools, and graduation commencement exercises for Abilene High, Cooper, and ATEMS. He also reminded the community that the district will be closed for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.
Dr. Kuhn closed his announcements by thanking the Board of Trustees and the community for their trust and support during his time as AISD superintendent.
Teaching Minute | 5:33
Season two of the Teaching Minute video series concluded with a visit to Michelle Hatton’s second grade classroom at Stafford Elementary School, where students explored fractions through a hands-on lesson aligned to TEKS standard 2.3B. Using graham crackers and cookies, students practiced breaking apart and partitioning food into equal parts to build their understanding of fractions.
Mrs. Hatton is completing her second year as a classroom teacher in Abilene ISD after previously serving for more than 10 years as a library associate. She earned her bachelor’s degree and teaching certification through McMurry University’s Aide to Teach program.
Recognitions | 7:36
CTE State Competitors
Director of Career and Technical Education Lucille Fullen recognized several AISD CTE student organizations who placed in the top five at their respective state-level competitions this spring.
Mrs. Fullen also shared that ATEMS earned national recognition as a 2025-26 Project Lead the Way Distinguished School for its engineering program. She thanked educators Denae Volk, Tracy Long, Eva Straughn, and retired teacher Larry Haney for their leadership and work building the program over the years.
Click here to read more about this designation.
SkillsUSA: Welding
Mr. Dustin Moore, welding instructor at The LIFT, recognized students who advanced to the state SkillsUSA competition and earned superior ribbons for their welding projects.
Among the projects recognized was a griddle with a side station built by ATEMS students Adrian Frazier, Trey Peirsal, and Noah Lubang, which featured advanced TIG welding techniques. Mr. Moore also highlighted Cooper High School students Canon Adams and Peyton Valdez for their tensegrity (or “floating table”) project.
SkillsUSA: Technology
Engineering and Information Technology SkillsUSA students were recognized by instructor Roger Hall for their accomplishments in state competition and testing. Recognitions included the following ATEMS students:
Manuel Aguinagahuerta and Garrett Frick: Silver medal, Cybersecurity
Benjamin Cardoza and Ceth Davis: Bronze medal, Cybersecurity
Manuel Aguinagahuerta, Benjamin Cardoza, and Ceth Davis: Technical Information Testing medalists
Aiden Reed: Silver medal, Information Technology Support and Services
Anthony Ntambwe: Silver medal, Computer Programming Technical Test; fifth place in the programming competition
Ricky Royea: Gold medal, Computer Technology Information Testing
Ty Estrella: Silver medal, Engineering Technology Technical Information Testing
Blake Hail: Bronze medal, Engineering Technology Technical Information Testing
Mr. Hall also recognized Benjamin Cardoza, Manuel Aguinagahuerta, Seth Davis, and Garrett Frick for competing together on the district’s CyberPatriot team for four years and advancing to the semi-national competition.
TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators)
Thirty-nine Abilene ISD students competed at the state level in the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) program. Fourteen of the 21 state-qualifying projects placed in the top three, and seven students qualified for national competition, including:
Layla Robinson, Interactive Bulletin Board
Ethan Barriga, Lesson Planning and Deliver; Gold medal in Project Visualization Leadership
Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) State Competitors
Executive Director of Fine Arts Clay Johnson recognized high school students who advanced to the state Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE), a Texas Art Education Association competition that celebrates exemplary student achievement in visual arts through artwork presentations and juried interviews.
Eight students advanced to the state competition with 10 pieces of artwork. All students earned a rating of 4 and received a state medallion, the highest distinction awarded at the event. Recognized students included:
Abilene High School:
Sephora Ibondo
Kairi Nelson
Hollie Nowlan
Teacher: Kelly Fuller
Cooper High School
Janet Galvan
Teacher: Ashley Lowrance
Madison Hallford
Teacher: Melody Carter
Kandi Koelsche
Teacher: Shelby Meier
Regina Mtambala
Teacher: Ashley Lowrance
ATEMS
Kyrrah Pohl-Cardinal
Teacher: Leslie Lam
Mr. Johnson also recognized Hollie Nowlan for having artwork selected for the TAEA Youth Art Month Exhibition, an annual exhibition at the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin that highlights outstanding student artwork from across Texas.
State and National Speech and Debate Qualifiers
Students from Abilene High School were recognized for qualifying for state and national speech and debate competitions under coach Scott Stephens. National qualifiers will compete this summer in Richmond, Virginia. Recognitions included:
Maggie McKinzie: State qualifier in CX Debate with partner Lainey Marz
Lily Lemmons: State qualifier in Ready Writing
Sloan Westbrook: National qualifier in Big Questions Debate
Lainey Marz: National qualifier in Congress, House, and United States Extemporaneous Speaking; state qualifier in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, Congress, and Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking
Syler Richardson: National qualifier in Dramatic Interpretation; state qualifier in International Extemporaneous Speaking, Supplemental Events Prose, and Informative Extemporaneous Speaking; recipient of the NSDA Academic All-American award
State Powerlifting Qualifiers
The Board also recognized state powerlifting qualifiers from Abilene High School and Cooper High School.
Abilene High School girls state qualifiers included:
Kaclynne Price
Avah Ruelas
Evalyn Cervantes
Summer Handley
Analia Ramirez
Ximena Longinos
Cooper High School girls state qualifiers included:
Dahna Olmos
Natalyn Kuhn
Nevaeh Roque
Cooper High School student Kayden “Big K” Bryan was also recognized as the first boys state powerlifting champion in school history after recording an 820-pound squat, 520-pound bench press, and 670-pound deadlift.
Leadership Academy Participants
Associate Superintendent for the Development of Human Resources Alison Sims presented the 2025-26 participants in the district’s Leadership Academy. The program provides teachers with an overview of Abilene ISD’s organizational structure and professional development opportunities for those interested in leadership roles such as counselor, instructional coach, instructional facilitator, assistant principal, diagnostician, or grade-level and department leadership positions.
Report: Athletics Department | 46:56
Executive Director of Athletics Jim Garfield shared highlights from a successful year across Abilene ISD athletics, emphasizing student achievement and the district’s continued investment in coaching development and support.
More than 40 percent of AISD secondary students participated in athletics during the 2025-26 school year. Student-athletes earned an overall 89.6 percent passing average, up .91 percent. Mr. Garfield attributed the increase to Board’s decision to move from 6-week grading periods to 9-week grading periods in 2025-26. AISD teams also saw a high level of success across sports. Accomplishments this year included the first individual golf state qualifier in Abilene High history and the first boys state powerlifting champion in Cooper High history.
Mr. Garfield also included updates on district initiatives focused on recruiting and supporting coaches, including the district’s “Seat at the Table” initiative, Head Coach Academy, and participation in the Texas High School Coaches Association R.O.C.K. mentoring program.
Report: Special Education Department | 1:03:02
Executive Director of Special Education Dr. Stevanie Jackson shared an overview of the wide range of specialized programs and services available to support students with diverse learning, behavioral, cognitive, and physical needs across Abilene ISD.
Dr. Jackson also shared updates regarding upcoming changes to state special education funding, which will shift toward a model based on the degree of each student’s needs rather than instructional placement. She emphasized the district’s commitment to creating solutions for every student who enters AISD, regardless of disability or level of support needed.
“If we don’t have a program, we brainstorm, we figure it out, and we make one,” Dr. Jackson said. “No matter what, in Abilene ISD, we find a way to serve these students.”
Board Action | 1:22:45
Group Medical Insurance Proposal: The Board approved BlueCross BlueShield as the district’s medical provider for the 2026-27 plan year.
Bronze Statues of Children Donation: The Board approved a resolution to donate the Senter Sculptures, bronze statues featuring school-aged children that were previously displayed at the AISD administration building, to Abilene Heritage Square, the former site of Abilene High School.
Renaming of Bowie Elementary School: The Board approved renaming Bowie Elementary School to Bowie STEM Academy.
Renaming of Purcell Elementary School: The Board approved renaming Purcell Elementary School to Purcell STEM Academy.