Lansing schools board names Jessica Benavides permanent superintendent

The Lansing School District Board of Education has appointed Jessica Benavides as permanent superintendent after she served as interim superintendent since earlier this year.

Benavides spent nearly her entire career as a Lansing School District employee and was named to the newly created role of first deputy superintendent about a year ago. She moved into the interim superintendent position after then-Superintendent Ben Shuldiner left for the same job in Seattle, following an announcement last November.

Her salary will rise from about $179,000 to $280,900 under a new contract that runs through June 30, 2029. Board President Guillermo Lopez said in a statement that Benavides "has earned the confidence of the Board of Education through nearly three decades of dedicated service to the Lansing School District and our community."

Benavides said in a statement that she is honored by the board's confidence and that Lansing has been the privilege of her career for nearly three decades.

Read the full story at Lansing City Pulse.