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For Van Ayres, education was never just a career path – it was part of his DNA. Growing up in a household where both parents were educators, he witnessed firsthand the profound impact teachers can have on young lives.
His mother spent 35 years as a mathematics teacher before becoming a principal, while his father dedicated 34 years to teaching in the same Florida county where Ayres would later build his own career.
“Growing up, it always surrounded me,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “So I think it was always in my heart to get into the field of education. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.”
That decision set him on a journey that has spanned nearly three decades. Beginning as a chemistry teacher in Hillsborough County, Ayres steadily rose through the ranks – leading science departments, serving as assistant principal and principal and later becoming Deputy Superintendent before being appointed Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools in 2023.
Today, he heads up the seventh-largest school district in the United States and the third-largest in Florida, overseeing more than 220,000 students and nearly 24,000 employees. The scale rivals that of a major corporation, yet Ayres remains grounded in the perspective he gained in the classroom.
“All the decisions I make as a superintendent come back to my days of being a classroom teacher, an assistant principal, a principal working in the district office,” he muses.
“I think the nice part of having a superintendent of a school district that has had those roles is that every decision I make, I never forget the jobs I had before and the responsibilities I have. Knowing what our employees want and need, I think then puts me in a position to drive decisions for the school district to ensure that their needs are met.”
“It was always in my heart to get into the field of education. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.”
That teacher-first mindset has become the foundation of his leadership approach, helping him navigate the unique challenge of running one of the United States’ largest public education systems while remaining focused on the success of every single one of his students.
“As a superintendent, it’s truly a balance between the two, because if you focus too much on the business side and you get the perception out there that all you care about is business and money, you’re not caring about the success of students,” he explains.
“We can do as many great things as we want on the academic side, but if we’re failing the business side of things, I fail and we fail as an organization.”
From record graduation rates and pioneering AI adoption to workforce development initiatives and nationally recognized sustainability programs, Ayres is proving that educational excellence and operational efficiency are not competing priorities – they are inseparable.
That philosophy has helped guide Hillsborough County Public Schools to some of its strongest results on record. The district recently achieved its highest ever four-year district-wide graduation rate of 91 percent, while 74 percent of graduates in its traditional high schools left with an advanced credit, industry certification or college-level qualification already under their belt.
“Every decision I make, I never forget the jobs I had before and the responsibilities I have.”
For Ayres, however, success is measured by more than metrics. The district’s guiding vision is simple: preparing students for life.
“We’ve prepared them for that, for to be college and career ready,” he says. “They have the ability to make that decision. They’re not forced into one path or another.”
Hillsborough operates its own technical colleges, providing affordable pathways into careers ranging from healthcare and engineering to electrical work, automotive technology and heating, ventilation and air conditioning services. Students can graduate with industry-recognized qualifications and little to no debt, creating direct pathways into employment.
As one of the region’s largest economic engines, Hillsborough County Public Schools maintains an extensive supplier ecosystem that spans construction, facilities management, technology, transportation and professional services. Collaborating closely with local businesses and contractors allows the district to deliver critical infrastructure projects while generating significant economic activity throughout the county.
“We’ve got tremendous partners with companies that help us,” Ayres says, emphasizing the role suppliers such as IT solutions provider Connection play in supporting both the district’s operations and its long-term growth strategy.
Spanning such an immense area, cohesion could be a near-impossible task, yet – as Ayres explains – the commitment to consistency and equity across its vast network is a non-negotiable.
Whether a student attends school on one side of the county or the other, the curriculum remains the same. Funding models, academic programs and even athletic revenue are managed centrally to ensure every student receives access to comparable opportunities.
“We are a school system, not a system of schools,” Ayres says. “Whether it’s our allocation process or curriculum, it’s very centralized across the board and that’s how we maintain integrity among all of our schools in our district. In Tampa, we’re the size of Rhode Island as a state. So it’s important for us to diversify and have programs across the board, but we have it all.”
Recognizing the ever-expanding influence of AI, Hillsborough became one of the first school districts in Florida to establish an AI policy and implementation guide. The district has since implemented Magic School, an AI-powered platform designed specifically for educators. Unlike open-ended generative AI tools, Magic School operates within carefully designed guardrails aligned to state curriculum standards.
“We are a school system, not a system of schools.”
The platform helps teachers streamline lesson planning while ensuring educational consistency across the district, with more than 5,000 teachers participating in pilot programs before the technology was formally adopted. It now has 8,000 teachers on board, and aims to hit a goal of 10,000 by the end of the year.
“What make great schools are great leaders, great teachers,” he says. “I’ve started to see where our teachers are really hungry for it. Technology is in everything that we do and it was always, it’s the next thing, but I think safety would be a big one there and how we keep our classrooms safe.”
As for the legacy Ayres hopes will endure well beyond his tenure, it isn’t about his personal name, but the reputation of Hillsborough as a whole.
“Honestly, that’s not me,” he says with a smile. “I don’t think of legacy for me. That’s not what I’m about. I just want to be the best CEO, best leader of this school district while I’m here.”
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