Mission CISD’s new superintendent officially takes helm

The Mission school board officially appointed Cris Valdez as the district’s superintendent during a special meeting on Monday.

“I am deeply grateful to the Mission CISD Board of Trustees and the entire Mission community for placing their trust in me to serve in this role,” Valdez said in a news release. “It is a tremendous honor and responsibility that I do not take lightly.”

Valdez was previously named the finalist for the position last month, after serving as interim following the school board’s 5-1 decision to place former Superintendent Carol Perez on administrative leave with pay. The school board eventually approved a severance package for Perez in June, which provided three months of compensation.

With more than 32 years of experience, Valdez began her career in education as a substitute teacher at Weslaco ISD and eventually accumulated a plethora of experience as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and district bilingual coordinator. Her most recent role was the deputy director for curriculum, instruction and assessment at the Region One Education Service Center.

Through 2017 and 2018, Valdez served as interim superintendent at Mission CISD. Previously, Valdez returned to the Weslaco school district as interim superintendent in 2021 following former Superintendent Priscilla Canales’ resignation.

During the special meeting on Monday, the board of trustees’ president Iris Iglesias congratulated Valdez.

“We are thrilled to have you lead us into the future and look forward to working alongside with you to achieve great things for our district,” Iglesias said in the release. “Together we will build a bright future for Mission CISD.”

The appointment became official after a required 21-day waiting period before the hiring was finalized.

“Every single day, I am committed to working tirelessly for the success of our children, ensuring they have the opportunities, support, and resources they need to thrive,” Valdez said.