After a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys over the past two weeks, the Columbus Municipal School District finally has a new superintendent — almost.
The board of trustees unanimously voted Thursday night to name Interim Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell to the full-time post, pending finalization of contract negotiations.
It was a relatively anticlimactic end to a yearlong process. Only a few citizens were on hand to hear the announcement, which came at the conclusion of the board’s three-hour closed executive session, in which they discussed the contract and pending litigation, the nature of which is unknown.
“It’s been a long time coming, but we are very happy it came,” Board President Tommy Prude said. “I’ve always said the cream will rise to the top.”
Liddell was the only candidate remaining after three finalists withdrew from consideration.
Dr. Pamela Henson, of Daphne, Ala., interviewed with the district May 24, but withdrew Friday, due to the death of her husband.
Isaac “Ike” Leon Haynes, who interviewed with the district May 22, withdrew Wednesday, confirming Thursday he had received a $23,000 incentive package from the Jefferson Davis County School District in Prentiss, where he is currently serving his second term as elected superintendent, earning $115,000 plus benefits.
Dr. John G. Ladner withdrew May 14, one day after his name was announced as one of the four finalists.
Saturday morning, the board met in a special meeting to discuss the candidates, agreeing upon Liddell as their favorite, Prude said. Both Henson and Haynes confirmed Wednesday they were never offered the position.
Liddell said it was an honor to be chosen and she looks forward to holding a summit in July to detail her strategic plan for the district.
She said she was notified Tuesday that she was the board’s choice, but because she and several board members were out of town, discussions were postponed until Thursday.
Contract negotiations
The sticking point of the district’s three-year contract offer is the base salary and supplemental pay, Liddell said. Details of the contract will be made public, once it is finalized. Liddell said she hopes she and her lawyer can come to an agreement with the board, so she can sign the contract by next week.
Former Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips was earning $154,400 at the time of his departure last June. Previously he made $161,200, but his salary was reduced as a result of across-the-board budget cuts. Liddell said, during her public interview Friday, she would “absolutely” be willing to take a pay cut from her hired-in salary, if necessary. She earned $135,600 per year as interim superintendent.
As part of her proposed superintendent contract, she is seeking an “achievement contract,” she said Thursday night. The supplemental pay would be given if the district meets certain academic parameters through improved test scores. She said although such incentives are commonly part of a general contract, she wants a more detailed offer that ties into “performance-based leadership.”
The state department of education currently ranks the district on academic watch, the fourth tier of a seven-tier accountability model. The top districts are designated as star districts. Only four of the state’s 152 school districts — Clinton, Enterprise, Pass Christian and Petal — achieved star status last year and only 27 achieved high-performing status.
The Starkville School District, which ranks as successful, recently negotiated a four-year contract with new Superintendent Lewis Holloway, who will earn $175,000 a year, which school officials say is commensurate with his almost 30 years of experience as a superintendent.
Holloway’s salary is currently the highest among superintendents in Mississippi. Previous SSD Superintendent Judy Couey earned $130,000 a year.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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