There has been no shortage of news surrounding Cincinnati Public Schools in recent weeks, with its proposal for a new-money levy for the first time in a decade, ongoing budget deficit concerns and its historic 3-star state report card.
The woman at the helm of the region's largest school district, Superintendent Shauna Murphy, joined The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcastto talk about the state of the district, her two-year tenure in the top position and the rocky period when she was unexpectedly tapped to lead in November 2024.
Murphy said the district was holding its breath in the months prior to the mid-September release of the Ohio Department of Education's report cards, which assesses districts on a five-star scale. Three stars signifies
a distict meets state standards.
The superintendent said she was thrilled to tell CPS's Board of Education that the district "is seeing stars," securing the 3-star overall rating and record-high test proficiency scores. The good news could not have come at a better time, she said, as the district is asking voters to approve a 7-mill property tax levy in the general election next month.
The report card news is a highlight for Murphy, who assumed the interim superintendent role during a particularly turbulent time for the district, after the sudden resignation of her predecessor, Iranetta Wright, following "no confidence" votes from union members.
There was no hesitation on her part that she was the person for the job, Murphy said.
"I'm built for this," she said.
Listen to the full conversation on this week's episode of the That's So Cincinnati podcast.
"That’s So Cincinnati," The Enquirer’s weekly podcast on what's making news in our community, features a who’s who of special guests. Find it at Audioboom, Apple or your favorite podcast platform.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: CPS leader Shauna Murphy is 'seeing stars' | That's So Cincinnati
