Marvin Jones, a former Thurgood Marshall High School principal, is the business manager for the district. Superintendent David Lawrence was approved two years ago as the first business manager the district had in decades.
Benson-Taylor oversaw a $1.2 million annual budget during her time in the recorder’s office. The statutory salary for Benson-Taylor’s role this year was $92,876.
In her role at Dayton Public, Benson-Taylor will be paid $105,000, according to Dayton Public Schools records.
The assistant business manager role was not listed on the organizational chart for the 2024-2025 school year approved by the board in July. It is also not listed on the district support staff salary scale approved in October.
Lawrence, the district’s superintendent, said there used to be a role under him while he was business manager called the chief of operations. The person who filled that role resigned in March 2023, according to district records, and was never replaced. This role would replace those duties.
The position summary was posted online, according to the district’s spokeswoman. The associate business manager’s essential duties and responsibilities include helping prepare and monitor department budgets, reviewing expenses, overseeing operations, and helping with hiring, evaluating and training non-educational staff.
Taylor did not respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment.
Earlier this year, the Dayton Daily News reported that Benson-Taylor went through a personal mortgage foreclosure this year, had a vehicle repossession case last year and wage garnishment in 2022-23. She said the issues were due to difficulty finding steady employment before being hired by the county in 2021, when she was hired into the recorder’s office.
During her time at the county office, she faced personal debt issues totaling about $50,000, according to a Dayton Daily News investigation.
Benson-Taylor was appointed into the recorder’s office role in 2023 to fill a vacancy left by Brandon McClain, who is now serving as a judge in Dayton Municipal Court.
Benson-Taylor has told the Dayton Daily News that she earned an associate degree in paralegal studies from Sinclair Community College, a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in sociology from Wright State University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law.
Reporters Sydney Dawes and Eric Schwartzberg contributed to this story.
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