New Cincinnati Public Schools superintendent Iranetta Wright will make an annual base salary of $260,000 under her three-year contract with the district’s board of education.
The board unanimously approved the contract in a resolution during Monday night’s business meeting.
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Board president Ben Lindy said he believes the district offered a “fair and competitive” compensation package that’s in line with other urban Ohio school districts.
Interim CPS Superintendent Tianay Amat’s pay is the equivalent of $215,000 a year. Previous superintendent Laura Mitchell made just over $252,000 a year, but her contract also had performance bonuses that Wright’s does not.
Wright’s term begins May 2 and will be valid through July 31, 2025. If Wright receives a “satisfactory” evaluation from the board after the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, the agreement will automatically extend for an additional year. Performance objectives to be used for the evaluation will be established between Wright and the board this summer, according to the contract. To read the full contract approved Monday, scroll to the end of this story or click here.
The contract also includes:
- $1 million life insurance coverage.
- $750 monthly car allowance to use with the purchase or lease of an automobile and for maintenance and fuel expenses for district travel.
- Cell phone, laptop computer and tablet.
- Up to $12,000 in moving expenses for relocating to Cincinnati.
- $2,000 monthly transitional housing stipend for three months while Wright looks for a permanent residence in Cincinnati.
Wright will also receive 15 paid sick leave days and will start with a bank of 15 paid vacation days before accruing an annual 27 vacation days.
The contract states Wright is being reimbursed for all travel expenses, meals and hotel costs from her travel to and from Cincinnati since her announcement as superintendent in February and before the contract’s start date. She will also be paid per diem for those days in which “she spends her full time and attention working to prepare for her position” as CPS superintendent.
Wright, current deputy superintendent of Detroit Public Schools, was selected to lead Ohio’s third-largest school district earlier this year after a nationwide search. Former superintendent Mitchell resigned last spring to become president and CEO of Beech Acres Parenting Center.
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Wright has never been a superintendent before but has worked in education for nearly 30 years, including in leadership roles as chief of schools and assistant superintendent at Duval County Public Schools in Florida, according to her resume. She has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and principal leader.
In her first address as CPS superintendent, Wright emphasized the importance of community engagement, collaboration with local partners and her desire to help students recover from learning loss accumulated during the pandemic.
“We are incredibly excited to take this important next step for our district,” Lindy said during Monday’s meeting. “We know she’s going to hit the ground running.”
