The School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) looked at the third draft of a contract for a new superintendent during a regular meeting on Wednesday.
The new superintendent, retired Collier County Public Schools superintendent Kamela Patton, is to be hired for a six-month period while Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) conducts a national search for a new, permanent superintendent.
The contract draft presented on Wednesday allots a base monthly salary of $19,500, plus a monthly $800 automobile allowance, $175 technology allowance, a $2,000 temporary living allowance and the district’s commitment to pay the superintendent’s attorney fees for drafting the contract.
In discussion on Wednesday, board members asked to remove the district’s responsibility for Patton’s attorney fees, to avoid setting a precedent. Board Chair Diyonne McGraw, who worked with the board attorney to negotiate the contract, said Patton told her she was willing to remove the attorney fees, and to drop the automobile allowance from $800 to $600.
“She’s a skilled leader, so I do know we’re going to pay a premium for it,” Board Member Tina Certain said during the meeting.
Certain reiterated that she would rather have waited to fire current superintendent Shane Andrew until the district completes its national search, but said Patton was her top choice once that option was off the table.
The board also discussed the clause in the contract that requires mutual agreement between Patton and the board to terminate the contract, which expires on June 30, 2025.
“From her speaking with me, she says she has watched quite a few of our meetings,” Board Member Leanetta McNealy said during the meeting. “So therefore, I don’t blame her, leaving her comfortable home in Collier County to come here and that if things didn’t go the way that we would want them to go, she could easily be moved.”
The board set a special meeting for 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 to approve a final version of the contract.
Operational Audit
The board also reviewed the results of an operational audit, conducted by the Florida Auditor General’s Office every three years. This year’s audit included eight findings, five of which ACPS Chief of Finance Gabrielle Jaremczuk said are repeated findings.
Jaremczuk said the district has a 45-day window to write and turn in a detailed action plan for each finding, due Nov. 30.
The findings are as follows:
- District school safety procedures need improvement to ensure and demonstrate that school resource officers complete the required mental health crisis intervention training. (Similar finding noted in report No. 2022-099)
- District records did not always demonstrate compliance with statutory fire and emergency drill requirements. (Similar finding noted in report No. 2022-099)
- ACPS had not established procedures to timely complete investigations, document required affidavits, issue final orders, or report information to the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) on employees who are terminated, resign in lieu of termination, are investigated by law enforcement or are convicted for an offense that disqualifies the person from District employment. Though the district was leaning on investigations done by other entities, such as law enforcement, it is contrary to State Board of Education rules to skip having its own investigation.
- There is room for improvement in district controls over purchasing card use, suspensions and cancellations.
- District facilities management procedures could be enhanced to better help management evaluate and determine the most cost-effective and efficient maintenance methods/techniques. (Similar finding noted in report No. 2022-099)
- ACPS needs to strengthen procedures to ensure that instructional contact hours for adult general education classes are accurately reported to FLDOE. (Similar finding noted in report No. 2022-099)
- ACPS failed to comply with state law by posting the required official budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year and required graphical representations for the 2022-23 fiscal year on its website.
- The district did not timely remove the information technology user access privileges of some employees after their separation from ACPS employment. (Similar finding noted in report No. 2022-099)