Mansfield ISD Superintendent Dr. Kimberley Cantu Among Five Finalists for 2024 Superintendent of the Year Award

By Office of Communications

Posted on August 26, 2024, August 26, 2024

Five Texas public school superintendents, including Mansfield ISD Superintendent Dr. Kimberley Cantu, have been named as state finalists for the annual Superintendent of the Year award by the Texas Association of School Boards.

This year’s award coincides with the 40th anniversary of the award program, which was established in 1984 to recognize exemplary school leaders.

“The Superintendent of the Year program was specifically designed to showcase the outstanding work happening in school districts from across the state to highlight the power of excellent and transformative leadership in public education,” said TASB Executive Director Dan Troxell. “We’re especially excited to celebrate this year’s state finalists in conjunction with this milestone anniversary for the program. I fully expect the Superintendent of the Year Award will continue to be the premier honor for district leaders for decades to come.”

The five finalists were selected by a TASB committee of school board members who interviewed 18 regional nominees put forward by education service centers (ESC) across the state. The candidates were evaluated based on their work in improving student outcomes, developing a strong team-of-eight relationship, fiscal management, advocacy, and their ongoing commitment to education innovation, improvement, and leadership. 

 The five state finalists represent districts that range in size from 900 to more than 35,000 students. These superintendents will advance to the next stage of the Superintendent of the Year competition, which takes place in September at txEDCON24 in San Antonio. The winner will be announced Saturday, Sept. 28.

About Mansfield ISD Superintendent Dr. Kimberley Cantu

Dr. Cantu is in her 32nd year of service in public school education with 25 of those years spent serving the students of Mansfield ISD. She began her career in 1992 as a teacher and coach at Llano High School. The following year, she accepted a teaching and coaching position at Mansfield High School where she spent five years in the classroom before being promoted to an assistant principal and then the academic associate principal of Mansfield High School. She served as a principal, a director in curriculum and instruction, and executive director of human resources in a neighboring district before returning to Mansfield in 2012 as a director in human resources. She held various leadership roles in human resources before being appointed as the district’s deputy superintendent. Dr. Cantu was officially named the superintendent of Mansfield ISD on December 17, 2019, becoming the second female superintendent in the district's history.

“Dr. Cantu fosters a team-oriented environment within the board and staff,” said MISD Board immediate past president Courtney Lackey Wilson in a news release. “She depends on her cabinet to provide necessary information from their areas of expertise then weighs all perspectives before making decisions that are best for students. She ensures that every cabinet member understands all aspects of the organization so they can evaluate the systemic impact of all choices. While she exhibits great business acumen, she exemplifies compassion and provides a calm, confident presence for staff and community, even in the face of crises such as a pandemic, a massive cyberattack, and a student shooting. Her resilience is an inspiration for everyone.”