ALACHUA COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The Alachua County School Board voted 3-2 in favor of terminating Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Shane Andrew’s contract, leaving the superintendent seat empty two months into the school year.
The board discussed the superintendent’s evaluation on the agenda at a special meeting on Oct. 15, when board member Kay Abbitt proposed a motion to terminate Andrew’s contract.
“I move that we terminate Superintendent Andrew’s contract, effective Nov. 15,” said Abbitt, who proposed a special meeting next week to select an interim hire for the soon-to-be vacant superintendent seat.
“It’s obvious from the evaluations that we need new leadership,” said Abbitt. “There’s no need to delay this. We need to move forward.”
Abbitt felt that other members of the board shared her opinion.
“I’m not the only board member who feels this way, so it’s very difficult for me to understand why there’s not an agreement on it,” said Abbitt.
Longtime member Leanetta McNealy and Chair Diyonne McGraw joined Abbit and combined three votes favoring the motion.
McNealy, who rated Andrew’s evaluation as “effective,” showed discomfort in the level of disagreement across the board.
“I don’t see, based on what all five of us wrote, that we’re going to get any further with this individual,” said McNealy.
McGraw stated she was “shocked to hear” the motion taking place, saying the children in the district should take precedence overall.
“Are we going to get anything done for children? We can never get anything done for children because of who likes who, and because you don’t agree on one issue,” said McGraw, who further expressed her frustration at the recent turnover rate for ACPS superintendents.
“We have had eight superintendents in the last 10-12 years, you are never going to make progress that way,” said McGraw, “Who is going to come to Alachua County to be a superintendent if we have a history of changing superintendents like running water?”
Similarly to McNealy, McGraw felt that Andrew’s relationship with the board tarnished plans to move forward with him at the helm.
Fellow board members — including Tina Certain and Sarah Rockwell — favored removing the superintendent but voted in dissent of the motion, stating they did not want to hire a superintendent in the middle of the school year.
“My thing is the process. I would prefer we just do a starter search, and we do a search instead of having an interim,” clarified Certain.
Rockwell expressed her thoughts via email.
“The school board has twice fired superintendents, hurriedly appointed new superintendents with short-term contracts, and then extended those contracts without a search,” wrote Rockwell. “I regret ever supporting the board in these decisions when I was a private citizen and didn’t understand the negative impacts they would have. I am not in support of repeating those ineffective actions now.”
352today contacted the remaining board members through email. As of Thursday evening, we have not received other responses.
With the motion moving forward and his contract terminated, Superintendent Andrew’s last day on the board is Nov. 15.
A special meeting to select an interim superintendent is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m.