Gilbert AZ May 16 2013 Colleagues of Art Wagner, the executive director of support services in the Higley Unified School District who was found dead Wednesday, said he was a hard-worker and “a friend to everyone.”A Higley High School employee discovered Wagner’s body about 8:45 a.m. just off campus between the baseball fields and railroad tracks with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Gilbert Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jesse Sanger said. He was 42.
Police had not found a suicide note and are still investigating, Sanger said. No students were hurt at the school, which is near Pecos and Recker roads in Gilbert.
“Art Wagner is one of those people who has a great heart, very caring, very service-oriented, (would) do anything for you, give you the shirt off of his back,” district Superintendent Denise Birdwell said. “He was the kind of employee who goes above and beyond, (and) would take on more responsibility just to make sure that all of the work got done.”
Wagner had been an educator for 20 years, including four years with the Higley district. As executive director of support services, he oversaw all transportation, athletics, community education, parks and recreation, maintenance and operations, and construction for the district.
He was recognized last month as an outstanding administrator by the Arizona School Administrators Association, and recently had earned a certificate for “Master Athletic Administrator” from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. Only 10 other athletic administrators in Arizona have the certificate.
Birdwell said Wagner was dealing with multiple health issues, including sleep deprivation caused largely by an ear issue for which he was receiving medical treatment, and had taken on more than his share of responsibilities at work.
“Between the lack of sleep, the medical issues he was facing, a lot of responsibilities, I just think there were just so many issues weighing heavily on him,” she said.
District staff had taken on more responsibilities over the last four years due to budget cuts. Birdwell said that while doing the budget for next year, officials realized Wagner had “more on his responsibility list” than other employees. They planned to bring in a director to work underneath him and help alleviate the duties.
But despite the difficulties Wagner was dealing with, she said employees were “caught off guard” by the news of his death.
“Art did not believe that the answer to problems is through suicide,” Birdwell said. “He is a strong individual. I think he was out of character because of all that he was dealing with physically. But Art Wagner was a great educator, an intellectual person, a caring person. He was a great athlete. He was a great coach.”
Wagner married Higley Elementary and Middle School Principal Kat Hughes around spring break. He had no children.
School board members said they were shocked when they learned of Wagner’s death.
“He was such an inspiration,” board member Jake Hoffman said. “He could light up the room with his smile.”
He said Wagner was hard working and resourceful.
“You’d come to him with an issue, and boom, an hour later, a day later, he was on it, and he was quick with everything,” Hoffman said. “It was phenomenal to see how we would tackle projects and requests.”
Kim Anderson, vice president of the governing board, said Wagner “had a great legacy.”
“He was really committed to kids,” she said. “He was always really concerned about students and how well they do. He liked to say, ‘Finish strong.’”
Board member Kristina Reese said Wagner was very enthusiastic and talented.
“He was very friendly and always had a smile,” she said. “It’s a huge loss.”
Wagner had served as the executive board president of the Arizona Interscholastic Association, a three-year term that would have wrapped up this month, AIA Executive Director Harold Slemmer said. He had been selected to serve another term beginning in August.
In part, the association offers administrators courses to further their education. Slemmer said Wagner was “a real advocate for professional development.”
“He led by example and encouraged others to do it. He taught a number of leadership training courses provided by the AI-Triple-A,” Slemmer said. “He was well-respected as a teacher for other professionals, and he just lived by example.”
Wagner had worked for the Higley district since July 2009, he said. Previously, he worked for the Tempe Unified School District from 1993 to 2009, at both McClintock and Mountain Pointe high schools.
Slemmer said he and colleagues involved with the AIA were in shock at the news of Wagner’s death “because the level of respect that Art commanded was just as high as it could be.”
“There’s no question that Art was probably one of the best liked and most loved school administrators,” he said. “He certainly had a stellar career.”
Chuck Schmidt, associate executive director of the AIA, said his “heart and prayers go out to his family.”
“Art had such a great passion for kids,” he said. “He was a go-to guy.”