Several weeks after deciding to hire her, the Columbus City Schools have announced a contract agreement has been reached with the district's next superintendent.
Talisa Dixon has agreed to a three-year contract through the 2021-2022 school year. The board of education approved the deal at a meeting on Saturday, according to a district news release. Dixon will start in March. In the meantime, she'll remain superintendent of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools. She'll be paid 242 thousand dollars annualy by the cash-strapped district, plus 'incentives'. Those include up to four annual performance bonuses of nearly ten thousand dollars each, if the academically-struggling district meets certain benchmarks on the state report cards. The district got a failing grade from the state in the latest report card. Dixon will also get a ten thousand dollar payment to move to Columbus. Dixon will begin working one day a week in January and up to 10 weekend days at a cost not to exceed 35 hundred dollars. Dixon also gets 10 paid days per year to participate in professional development, including travel and expenses. She was chosen by the board last September. It was the result of the board's second search. The first search was scrapped when state auditor David Yost said the board may have violated open meetings laws by conducting that search behind closed doors.
