Columbia school board considers superintendent contract extension

The Columbia Board of Education is considering a one-year contract extension for Superintendent Peter Stiepleman at the board meeting Monday evening.

“This is something that is done yearly for superintendents here in Columbia,” said Board President Jan Mees.

Stiepleman is finishing the first year of his three year contract where he currently makes about $200,000 per year. The contract extension the school board will consider was not immediately available Monday.

“Contract extension and the ensuing compensation package is dependent upon how the superintendent progresses on the goals that were set,” Mees said. The board will review Stiepleman’s progress in executive session ahead of the board meeting Monday.

Stiepleman got his start in Columbia Public Schools as a third grade teacher and worked his way up to superintendent in 2014. Stiepleman said he wants to tackle educational issues related to poverty and equity in the community.

During his tenure, Stiepleman has prioritized closing the achievement gap between poor and minority students and other children and raising graduation rates for minority students. Several new schools have opened under his leadership and the district deals with rapid population growth, including Battle High School, Beulah Ralph Elementary and the new Cedar Ridge Elementary. The district is currently working on plans to build a new middle school in southwest Columbia.

Contract extension considerations happen before superintendent contracts end because hiring periods for school administration periods are early, so if the board doesn’t want to keep Stiepleman, it will give him and the district a chance to get started on the hiring process.

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