The Abilene ISD Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Joseph Waldron, Ed.D., has been named lone finalist for the position of superintendent of schools.
Dr. Waldron is currently deputy superintendent for Abilene ISD, leading day-to-day district operations, personnel, and strategic planning while serving as chief administrative officer when the superintendent is out of district. He first joined AISD in 2019 as associate superintendent for human resources; since then, he has also served as the district’s chief financial officer and associate superintendent for operations. Born in the Chicagoland area, Dr. Waldron’s public education career spans more than two decades and includes service as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent of curriculum and federal programs, and superintendent in Texas and Illinois districts.
“I am truly honored and humbled by the trust placed in me by our Board of Trustees to continue serving our incredible school district,” said Dr. Waldron. “Abilene is my family’s home – a place we love, filled with people who are dear to our hearts. Abilene ISD welcomed my family seven years ago, and we have been blessed to serve in a district full of exceptional educators. I am excited to continue that service as superintendent of schools, and I am even more excited for our current momentum to flourish in the years to come. It is a great day in Abilene ISD!”
Supported by Dr. Waldron’s leadership, AISD has experienced significant positive outcomes in instructional innovation, school improvement, community engagement, and fiscal advancement. In 2024, he designed and facilitated the district’s Strategic Footprint advisory committee and Pathways to Possibility community listening forums that resulted in the current Building Brighter Futures initiative. From securing new TEA School Action Fund resources to the redesign of Mann STEAM Academy to the creation of the Big Country’s first dedicated STEM elementary schools, Dr. Waldron has been instrumental in driving AISD’s comprehensive school innovation program forward with bold, research-based, students-first action.
“The Board is confident Dr. Waldron will represent Abilene ISD with integrity, vision, and steady leadership,” Board President Angie Wiley said. “Under his guidance, we fully expect the district to remain on the path of academic improvement and innovation that has brought AISD to the forefront of education in Texas. This is a moment of pride for our community, and we look forward with excitement to the next level of achievement under Dr. Waldron’s direction.”
Dr. Waldron’s strategic planning expertise and knowledge of district operations and finances was critical in helping to secure the Abilene community’s support for a voter-approval tax rate election (VATRE) in November 2025, providing more than $10M in new annual revenue to support teachers, address maintenance concerns, and eliminate the district’s budget deficit. An outspoken advocate for AISD students, families, and staff, Dr. Waldron has also delivered in-person testimony to the Texas House of Representatives Public Education Committee and leads AISD’s membership in the Texas School Alliance, the state’s foremost superintendent-led education policy advocacy organization.
Dr. Waldron holds a doctorate in global educational leadership from Lamar University and master’s degrees from Governors State University and Midwestern State University. He has served the Abilene community as a board member for the United Way of Abilene since 2019, and is an active member of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), and the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO). Dr. Waldron and his wife, Marijon, a dyslexia teacher at Ward Elementary, are parents to Ivy, a proud Madison Middle School Bison.
After the 21-day state-mandated waiting period, Dr. Waldron will assume the title of superintendent-designate until June 1, when he will officially be named superintendent of schools after acting AISD superintendent Dr. John Kuhn concludes his service in that role. In the meantime, the district will operate under a board-approved leadership transition plan through May 31.