Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Superintendent Sandra Lyon will maintain her position through the 2017-18 school year, according to reports by the Santa Monica Daily Press.
The contract, which was recently approved by the SMMUSD Board of Education, revealed that Lyon earns $239,200 annually in addition to $900 per month allotted for transportation and cell phone service. Lyon’s contract includes 24 vacation days, 13 sick days and five bereavement days.
Lyon, who signed her first three-year contract in 2011, had her contract extended just two years into her term, retaining her through the end of the 2015-16 school year.
This contract extension comes amid controversy surrounding the Santa Monica-Malibu School District.
The district has recently dealt with issues with the handling of chemical testing and cleanup at Malibu schools, a theft involving $40,000 worth of technology and equipment and issues of violence inside and outside classrooms.
Despite these challenges, however, Lyon has been lauded by several organizations during her time as superintendent.
The Association of California School Administrators named Lyon a regional superintendent of the year in 2014, and U.S. News and World Report ranked Santa Monica and Malibu on its list of the top 150 high schools in California for performance and college readiness.
“We are fortunate to have excellent staff, supportive parents and committed community members,” shared Lyon in her 2015-16 welcome letter.
With the new contract extension approved, Lyon will remain in the position through 2018. Following a tentative green light by the district’s Financial Oversight Committee, there is a possibility the Santa Monica and Malibu districts will be separated by 2018.