MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on July 1, 2022.
The Minneapolis Public School Board of Education voted Tuesday night to extend its timeline by one year to find a new district superintendent.
According to MPS, the district plans to work with an executive search firm to recruit applicants this fall, with the goal of having a permanent superintendent in place by July 1, 2024 for the 2024-25 school year.
The district initially planned to have a new superintendent in place by July 1, 2023. "We debated the benefits and challenges of both continuing on our current timeline or extending it – and ultimately decided to take more time to perform one of the board’s most important tasks," MPS Board Chair Sharon El-Amin said in a message to families.
According to El-Amin, Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox, who stepped into the position last summer, will continue to serve in the role for another year.
"I am grateful for Interim Superintendent Cox’s willingness to continue serving MPS during this transition period, and for her ongoing leadership and focus on our students," El-Amin wrote.
Cox has worked with Minneapolis Public Schools since 1997 in multiple positions, most recently as an associate superintendent alongside former superintendent Ed Graff.
In March 2022 Graff announced he would not extend his contract with the district. The announcement came days after MPS and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers reached a contract deal after a contentious strike that kept students out of school for 14 days.
MPS families that want to share input or feedback with the district about the superintendent search can fill out an online survey or attend one of several community listening sessions.
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