After five years of service to the Whitney Independent School District and 32 years in public education, Whitney ISD Superintendent John McCullough has announced his plan to retire. The Board of Trustees accepted his retirement during a regular meeting held Monday evening, February 12.
McCullough’s last day in his position will be May 31; he will remain an employee of the school district until September 30, to assist with the transition of leadership. The Board of Trustees will begin a search for a new superintendent.
“It was an honor and a blessing to be the superintendent of Whitney ISD for the last five years,” McCullough said. “I worked with an outstanding group of people at WISD. Our teachers, leadership team and school board deserve all of the credit for working together as a team for the success of our students, and I am very proud of the work we have accomplished during that time, especially the work that occurred during COVID.”
He added, “The district is in excellent shape and will continue to accomplish great things in the future.”
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Board President Charles Buzan praised the superintendent for his ability to build a strong culture of collaboration both within the district and between the district and the community.
“On behalf of the board, we highly value the progress made in our school system under Superintendent McCullough’s leadership. Mr. McCullough has been a tireless visionary for Whitney ISD over the past five years. Along with the board, Mr. McCullough has focused Whitney ISD and its stakeholders on identifying and developing the strengths and gifts of every child. This vision culminated in the single, focused goal for all of our students to achieve success beyond high school graduation,” said Buzan.
McCullough has been the superintendent of Whitney ISD since May 1, 2019. Prior to this appointment, he also served as superintendent of Sulphur Bluff and Paris North Lamar. His experience also includes periods as a director of CTE, high school principal and assistant principal, as well as a classroom teacher and coach.
A Texas native, McCullough grew up in DeKalb and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and completed his Masters at the University of Texas at Tyler.
He said that he is looking forward to spending more time with family, traveling, hunting and fishing.
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