Interim Superintendent Shauna Murphy will be the permanent superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools for the next two years.
The Board of Education voted 4-3 Monday night to skip the formal hiring process for its next leader and hire Murphy for the role. Interim Deputy Superintendent Alesia Smith's role was also made permanent with the vote.
RELATED: CPS names interim leaders after superintendent's resignation
Murphy has been with CPS since 1999, previously serving as an elementary and high school principal and assistant superintendent. She had been interim superintendent since May 2024, after former CPS superintendent Iranetta Wright resigned.
Following the vote, Murphy released a statement saying she is excited to continue leading the district for the next few years.
“Together, we will remain focused on fostering academic success by creating a supportive environment that uplifts our educators and motivates our students to reach their highest potential," Murphy said.
The decision to make Murphy the permanent superintendent was not without conflict. Board president Eve Bolton and board members Mary Wineberg, Jim Crossett, and Kareem Moffett voted in favor of hiring Murphy immediately while members Ben Lindy, Kendra Mapp, and Bradon Craig voted against it.
Some board members felt she was the right person for the job and wanted to move forward with her, but others said the Board should have gone through a more rigorous hiring process.
"I don't feel comfortable voting without having run a process," Board member Ben Lindy said. "I do want us to have an open process, a transparent process, and run it with some integrity, and I think we can do all of those things."
RELATED: CPS considers changes to restructuring plan for next school year
Still, some other members said they felt comfortable with Murphy at the helm and wanted a permanent leader to take over during a crucial time for the district.
"We've got the union negotiations coming up, we have to do business differently in some form of a growth plan, and I just think having a leader in place that's not interim to get all these things done is critical," Crossett said.
The school board will now negotiate contracts with Murphy and Smith.
