Dr. Benita Reed, school board president and the Board of Trustees began working to find a new superintendent for MISD in August 2025, after the announcement of Dr. Kimberley Cantu’s retirement.
“We want to be fiscally responsible,” Dr. Reed said. “We want the new person to get acclimated to the community and have an opportunity to engage with a number of groups and organizations.”
The process began Oct. 23, when the board hired JG Consulting, an agency that specializes in researching and finding good candidates for the position. They will present what they’ve found to the board starting Jan. 14, and they will begin the interviewing process of the candidates they’ve found.
“We want our superintendent to reflect our community’s values,” Dr. Reed said. “So for us, it’s very important to get to know and understand what the community expects of our next leader through the survey.”
The Board of Trustees continues its search for a new superintendent through the use of a survey posted on the MISD website, open to everyone. The board and JG consulting began hosting in-person meetings at MISD High Schools starting Nov. 12.
“We are trying our best to keep it a fair process,” Dr. Reed said. “Essentially, what we’re trying to do is work alongside JG in terms of getting the information that they’re providing from the district to help in our decision.”
JG Consulting held town meetings, allowing the community to give their opinions about what they want in a new superintendent. The consulting agency will meet with the school board Dec. 12 to present the data and information they gathered over the past few weeks.
“We want to create the type of environment where people in the community feel like they have a say,” Dr. Reed said. “That’s why we have town hall meetings and the online survey, we want their input.”
The school board looks for many things in a new superintendent, a good attitude being one of them. Though the current board members have never experienced something like this, they continue to focus on what’s best for MISD and its community.
“Something I’m looking for in a new superintendent is emotional intelligence and the ability to manage his or her emotions when experiencing pressure,” Dr. Reed said. “I also look for someone who has great interpersonal relationship skills with the ability to engage with all kinds of people.”
Each member of the school board has a three-year term. Dr. Jandel Crutchfield joined the board in 2024 and holds Place 2 on the board. She participates in the voting and selection of a new superintendent and works alongside her board members.
“During the process of voting, we all have our own opinions and can lose the common vote,” Dr. Crutchfield said. “It’s a privilege to be one of the votes nonetheless.”
Dr. Cantu has held her position as superintendent of MISD since 2019. The length of Dr. Cantu’s service means that no current board members experienced this process before her retirement. JG Consulting helps take some of the weight off the board by doing a portion of the work for the searching process.
“A lot of what has always been done is new to us,” Dr. Crutchfield said. “So we wanted to make sure that someone would help to shepherd the process to guide the steps and to be a bit neutral.”
The school board continues to work toward finding a new superintendent who will fit the needs of the community and MISD as a whole.
“I want people to know that we are very much committed to doing what’s best for our kids, everyone in the district and what’s going to be best for the future of everyone in MISD and continue doing so after Dr. Cantu,” Dr. Reed said. “Our board would like to thank Dr. Cantu for her service, commitment, and dedication to Mansfield ISD and our community at large.”
