Minneapolis school board weighs new contract for superintendent
Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis Public Schools superintendent is up for a three-year contract extension at the school board meeting on Tuesday.
Minneapolis superintendent contract
What we know:
The Minneapolis Board of Education will consider a contract extension for Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams at its meeting on Tuesday evening.
The new contract would run through June 2030 and give Sayles-Adams a starting salary of $281,520 in 2027 with 2% raises in 2028 and 2029.
The pay would be a modest bump from her current salary of $276,000.
By the numbers:
The contract comes with other benefits, including a retirement allocation equal to 10% of her base salary each year and a $600 monthly allowance for her personal vehicle to be used for business.
The district will make a $2,000 contribution into a health savings account for Sayles-Adams each year.
Sayles-Adams also gets 35 working days of paid vacation each year plus the option to cash out 15 unused vacation days each year. She also gets 18 sick days per year. Any unused sick days are paid out at the end of the contract as well.
Local perspective:
At the same meeting, Sayles-Adams is also slated to give a presentation on the district's property tax levy for 2027.
Sayles-Adams' background with district
The backstory:
Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams joined the district in 2024 after serving as superintendent of Eastern Carver County Schools.
Sayles-Adams was named the 2026 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year last year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.
The City of Minneapolis later proclaimed June 17 as "Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams Day" to commemorate the honor.
The Minnesota Association of School Administrators noted enrollment growth and renewed public confidence under her tenure. The organization also highlighted her implementation of a new curriculum for foundational educational skills and priority-based budgeting.
What's next:
The extension comes weeks before the deadline for Sayles-Adams to release her options for the district's school transformation process. The school board directed her to develop three options for consideration by the end of September. The plans could include school closures or mergers.
The board would then weigh those options and make a decision that would be finalized in time for the 2027-28 school year.
The Source: Information provided by Minneapolis Public Schools documents and previous FOX 9 coverage.