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LIBERTY -- Brian Knight's leadership of Liberty Local Schools will continue into 2030 as the district's board of education OK'd a new deal at its Monday meeting.
The board approved a five-year, 260-day contract for Knight, effective Aug. 1, 2027, through July 31, 2032, at an annual salary of $111,970.
The contract states that Knight will receive a raise of no less than 1.25% in years two and three of the deal, and a 1% increase in year four.
Knight, who previously served as the district's high school principal for two years, was selected for superintendent in April 2024, after then-Superintendent Andrew Tommelleo announced he would resign at the end of the year.
He has spent nearly 20 years in education, where he tutored children, served as the dean of students at Summit Academy Secondary School, worked for the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West, worked at Constellation Schools in Parma and worked as an attendance adviser for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
School officials began discussing Knight's new contract in May and ironed out its details in late June to early July.
Knight said that Liberty was his first shot at leading a district and he was excited to continue doing so.
"This has just been such a great place -- I love it here. I love the staff that I get to work with, the families and the students," Knight said. "It's exactly where I wanted to be, and I'm very thankful that the board was willing to give me the opportunity, for the next five years, to help lead the district.
"I was very grateful (for) the fact that the board was very supportive when I was the high school principal. I knew that they would be there to help guide me along the way, which they have. Each of our principals has something unique that they bring to the table, which really helped me in the position."
Knight said he thinks it will be important to communicate the board's and his own goals for the district and make sure they all can be successful, such as community outreach, showcasing student and staff accomplishments and transparency toward issues concerning taxpayers and school stakeholders.
"We've definitely tried to increase our communication through social media," Knight said. "Letting people know what our students are doing (and) the programs that we do offer that people were not familiar with."