The Mansfield ISD board voted unanimously Tuesday night on the historic slate, including Dr. Jandel Crutchfield as secretary.
MANSFIELD, Texas — Mansfield Independent School District made history Tuesday night by electing its first-ever Black woman president.
In a 7-0 vote, the board approved its new slate of officers featuring Dr. Benita Reed as president, Michelle Newsom as vice president and Dr. Jandel Crutchfield as secretary. The moment was met with a rousing ovation of applause in the boardroom.
“That made my heart patter, you know,” Reed said. “I was very happy.”
Jesse Cannon II, one of three newly elected MISD board trustees, made the motion and described it as “historic, obviously, as she is the first black female president for our school board, but also the entire slate of candidates.”
Dr. Reed brings more than 30 years of experience in education to the role, with over 25 spent as an English professor at Tarrant County College. She’s a proud wife and mother, as well as the daughter of two public school teachers who retired from Houston ISD.
“Education is a communal entity. It’s not, you go to school and then you go home,” Reed explained. “No, we’re all in this together and we are investing in our future together and so that I brought that with me.”
Cannon said he wants the community to know that Dr. Reed, Newsom, and Dr. Crutchfield are all bridge builders in their community.
“They have been boots on the ground in our community, they are highly involved, but also, each of them are dynamic leaders who I think will impact change in our district,” Cannon said.
Reed ran for the school board unsuccessfully in 2022, but came back for another campaign the following year.
“My baby was the inspiration,” Reed told WFAA. “She said you should run again. There, it was pretty much the same. There was a lot of politics. There were, I would say, intrusive forces in Mansfield ISD that we’ve never seen before.”
MISD currently has a B rating in the most recent TEA accountability grades available. It serves more than 35,000 students. This year, the school district is opening enrollment at 11 elementary schools to students outside Mansfield boundaries for the first time in its history.
“You can ensure that in Mansfield ISD, if you’re near or around Mansfield, that we’re gonna take care of your babies,” Reed said. “That’s our first priority.”
MISD is turning the page, making Dr. Reed’s story part of the district’s history.
“It’s humbling,” Reed said about being voted in. “I served with humility and honor. I really do because I know how important this position is.”