Brent S. Mitchell to lead Dallas-area district as it searches for a new superintendent.
By Carol Taylor
Dallas Morning News
https://www.dallasnews.com/
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
DeSoto ISD trustees voted unanimously this week on an interim superintendent.
Brent S. Mitchell will lead the southern Dallas County district as it searches for a new leader, trustees decided Monday.
Mitchell has 25 years in K-12 education and has held leadership roles across Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas, DeSoto ISD said in a news release. He most recently served as acting superintendent and assistant superintendent of support services/chief of staff for the Ferguson-Florissant School District in Missouri. DeSoto ISD highlighted his financial background in its news release, noting he led a financial “realignment” that resulted in that district cutting $13.7 million in expenditures “while protecting instructional priorities and student services.”
“Dr. Mitchell’s proven ability to lead complex organizations through financial realignment, strengthen school safety systems, and rebuild culture makes him uniquely qualified to serve DeSoto ISD during this pivotal moment,” board President Chasiti McKissic said in the release. “His experience aligns directly with the district’s immediate priorities, and the Board is confident in his leadership.”
Mitchell earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and earned master’s degrees from Harding University and the University of Central Arkansas.
“I am honored by the Board’s trust and committed to serving the DeSoto ISD community with integrity, transparency, and urgency,” Mitchell said in the release. “Together, we will focus on stabilizing operations, strengthening safety, and fostering a culture where students and staff can thrive.”
The Board of Trustees said the community will be able to meet with Mitchell soon. Information on next steps in the search for a permanent superintendent will be shared “as they become available,” the district said.
DeSoto ISD’s previous superintendent, Usamah Rodgers, retired in February. She came to DeSoto ISD in 2022, at a time when the district needed stability. In 2020, the Texas Education Agency appointed a conservator to oversee district operations due to financial mismanagement and poor governance. A TEA financial audit found that improper spending in the district led to a $21.6 million budget shortfall. Six years later, the district remains under conservatorship, a TEA spokesperson said.
Staff writer Silas Allen contributed to this report.
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By Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor is Education Lab editor at The Dallas Morning News. She grew up in Austin and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas and a master’s in clinical nutrition from UT Southwestern.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
