Superintendent Gist renews contract with TPS

TULSA, Ok — Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist is set to stay in the district another three years.

Gist’s base salary will remain just under $240,000 with a $1,500 per month stipend for a car and cellphone.

The Tulsa Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve a three year contract for Gist. The Board says they've seen a 5 percent increase in the graduation rate under Gist's leadership between 2015 and 2016 and a 26 decrease in out-of-school suspensions in the 2016 and 2017 school year.

Her June 2018 retention bonus will decrease by 9 percent; her 2021 bonus will decrease by 28 percent.

Her performance incentive, if earned, will be a contribution to her retirement, rather than a cash bonus

Gist released the following statement:

I am humbled, grateful, and beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to lead the phenomenal team at Tulsa Public Schools for another three years. I was ecstatic to come home to Tulsa in 2015, and the joy that I experience each day as I follow my calling to serve Tulsa children and families has only grown. This has always been my dream job, and I feel blessed and incredibly fortunate to continue this journey to make Tulsa Public Schools the nation’s destination for excellence in teaching and learning.