Dr. Kimberley Cantu is in her 32nd year of service in public school education with 25 years of service to MISD. She began her career as a teacher and coach at Llano High School in 1992. The following year, she accepted a teaching and coaching position at Mansfield High School where she spent five years in the classroom before becoming an assistant principal and then the academic associate principal of Mansfield High School.

In a neighboring district, Dr. Cantu later served as a principal, a director in curriculum and instruction and executive director of human resources. She returned to Mansfield in 2012 as a director in human resources and held various leadership roles in human resources before being appointed as the district’s deputy superintendent. After being named the lone finalist in the Mansfield ISD superintendent search, 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 is passionate about preparing students to be college, career and life ready through her work with Vision 2030 and the national Redefining Ready cohort. Furthermore, her work on preparing all students to be socially and emotionally astute and cared for, both in and outside of school, not only supports her belief of having students be “life ready” but shows her desire to put the best interests of our students and families first.

After earning her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in English from Tarleton State University, Dr. Cantu obtained her Mid-Management Administrator certificate from Texas Woman’s University and received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M-Commerce. She holds State Board for Educator Certification for secondary English, mid-management and superintendent.

Dr. Cantu believes in giving back to the community and is an active member of the Mansfield Rotary Club and participates in Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity and other service projects.

Kimberley is married to Jerry Cantu, a retired educator now working as a chief of staff in Tarrant County. They reside in Mansfield and have four daughters, two sons-in-law and two grandbabies. Their oldest, Courtney, is a Mansfield High School and University of Texas at Arlington graduate who now works as a teacher/coach. She and husband, Brad, have granddaughter, Mila James. Kendall, a graduate of Legacy High School, owns and runs a construction company with her husband, Bryce. Together they have the newest grandbaby, Edward Alexander. Hannah attended Texas Tech University and is on track to be a teacher. Their youngest daughter, Harper, is an middle school student in Mansfield ISD and loves to play volleyball, track and piano.