SANTA MONICA—Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Superintendent Sandra Lyon received a new contract and an increased salary at a Board of Education meeting held earlier this week.
Board Members voted unanimously to approve the new three-year contract that will raise Lyon’s annual base salary without benefits from $230,000 to $239,200.
Oscar de la Torre, who serves as a School Board member, lauded the new contract and said Lyon was worth the high salary.
“The job of superintendent is the most complex upper management job in our government,” de la Torre said. “Our Board has high expectations related to closing the achievement gap and Superintendent Lyon is poised to lead us in accomplishing major organizational goals.
According to the contract, Lyon will be given a $900-a-month stipend for “maintaining an automobile and cell phone” for district related business. In addition, Lyon will receive full dental and health coverage, 13 sick days and 24 vacation days a year. The contract also declares that her base salary can be “revisited annually” by the school board.
Lyon was originally hired as superintendent in 2011 after leaving her position as Chief Leadership Officer in the Palmdale School District.
On the SMMUSD website, Lyon notes the need for “innovative, adaptive life-long learners who will strive to make the world in which we all live a better place.”
“For the past three years, we have been focused on creating a culture of collaboration and that work continues this year as we know that true collaboration between staff, students, parents and community is necessary if we are to fulfill our vision and mission as a learning community,” says Lyon.
The district oversees more than 11,000 students and has a budget of $102.6 million.
