WASKOM, Texas - The Waskom Independent School District is mourning the loss of its superintendent, Christopher Guastella, who died Saturday in a vehicle crash in Shreveport.
According to Shreveport police, the single-vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Interstate 20 West and Bert Kouns Industrial Loop. Officers arrived to find a Ford Expedition that had left the roadway. The driver, identified as Guastella, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary findings indicate the crash may have been caused by a medical emergency. The Shreveport Police Department’s Crash Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate.
Waskom ISD confirmed Guastella’s passing in a statement and asked the community to keep his family in their thoughts.
“At this time, we are focused on supporting the Guastella family, as well as the students, staff, and families at Waskom ISD,” the district’s Board of Trustees said. “The Board remains steadfast in ensuring that our district has everything it needs. We ask that you join us in keeping the Guastella family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
Grief counselors will be made available to students and staff in the coming days.
Guastella was named superintendent in April 2025. Prior to that, he served as principal at Ferris ISD from 2023 to 2025 and at Karnes City ISD from 2021 to 2023. He also spent more than a decade with Judson ISD, where he worked as a teacher, coach, and later as an assistant principal at Metzger Middle School.
He was a graduate of Florida State University and earned his master’s degree from Lamar University.
Waskom, located in Harrison County near the Louisiana border, is a small community of about 2,000 residents.
Guastella is survived by his wife and two children.
