Columbus City Schools has its next full-time superintendent, choosing interim superintendent Angela Chapman over two other finalists.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Chapman, who's been serving as interim superintendent for four months. She assumed the role after Talissa Dixon announced her planned retirement in December.
After the Tuesday meeting, Chapman spoke about her priorities.
"Focusing on early literacy and graduation and matriculation and really making sure we are spreading the importance of attendance and getting the message to our community," Chapman said.
The board picked Chapman over Pasadena, California superintendent Brian McDonald and George Thomas, an associate superintendent from Minneapolis.
The board publicly narrowed the list of finalists and hosted a townhall meeting with the three remaining finalists last week, but the Columbus NAACP still contends the process lacked transparency. They've also taken issue with the $250,000 the district paid search firms.
“You have failed us, you have failed the children, and you have failed the entire community,” Columbus NAACP president Nana Watson told board members at the Tuesday meeting.
After the meeting, Watson praised Chapman and her accomplishments but still criticized the hiring process.
Board members say the next step in that process will be drafting Chapman's contract. She'll continue serving as interim superintendent until her new contract is finalized.
