Runcie to exit, but turmoil remains
Robert Runcie will officially step down as Broward Schools superintendent in three months, but major change may come slowly for a school district rocked by a statewide grand jury investigation and the arrests of three top administrators.
Under a $754,900 separation agreement approved by a divided School Board on Tuesday, Runcie will stay around in some capacity until Aug. 10.
An interim replacement probably won’t arrive for another month. A permanent replacement could take a year or more, School Board members say.
Some are getting impatient, tired of the negative light the arrests of Runcie, General Counsel Barbara Myrick and former Chief Information Officer Tony Hunter have cast on the district.
“As much as we talk about staying focused on kids, since this thing happened, it’s what everybody is talking about,” board member Donna Korn said during a workshop Tuesday. “I think we need to provide some stability as soon as possible.”
Some board members weren’t ready to name a replacement right away. They’ve
decided to invite people now working in the district to apply to be interim superintendent, That person is expected to be named by June 15. The School Board wants someone who won’t seek the job permanently.
“I have a lot of concerns about when and who we’re going to find” for the permanent job, board member Ann Murray said. “We’ve looked at other school districts and turnover is great. It could be a lengthy process. Some people say nine months or 12 months.”
In the meantime, the school district awaits a potentially scathing report from a grand jury. It’s the district’s fourth grand jury report, but it’s the first time a grand jury has indicted anyone in the district.
Runcie was arrested April 21 on a perjury charge, accused of contacting a grand jury witness for information and then lying about it in his own testimony. Myrick is accused of illegally disclosing grand jury testimony. Hunter is charged with bid rigging and bribery, accused of steering $17 million in contracts for classroom video technology to a friend.
Myrick and Runcie both agreed to step down after the indictments. The School Board approved a settlement valued at $226,350 for Myrick on Thursday. Tuesday morning, the board voted 5-4 to approve a package valued at $754,900 for Runcie.
The agreement was approved with a 5 to 4 vote after three hours of debate. Runcie supporters on the board called the package fair and respectful, while his critics called it too expensive. They also wanted him to leave sooner than his Aug. 10 end date.
“This issue has the community very divided. How we handle this can move us forward or set us back,” Board Chairwoman Rosalind Osgood, who negotiated Runcie’s package, told the School Board.
Opposition came from Nora Rupert, Sarah Leonardi, Debbi Hixon and Lori Alhadeff.
Some didn’t want to pay for an extra $80,000 pension on top of other retirement benefits or $25,000 for a lawyer who negotiated on Runcie’s behalf. Board member Sarah Leonardi said the nearly $755,000 price tag alarmed her.
“I want to acknowledge public perception. It’s an astounding amount of money,” Leonardi said.
She also would have preferred Runcie stay 30 days instead of 90.
Board member Laurie Rich Levinson, one of Runcie’s staunchest supporters, said the board needed to be aware that he optics of how the superintendent is treated are important as the board searches for his replacement.
“Everyone is watching. The way you treat the CEO, the top person in your organization, is extremely important,” she said. “Potential candidates are paying attention. Those candidates are watching how we behave.”
Also speaking passionately for Runcie was his wife,, Diana Runcie. It was only the second time she had spoken before the School Board. The first time was in 2019 when he survived an effort to fire him in the midst of the Parkland tragedy.
“He strapped the school district to his back and he marched it up a very steep incline to get it where it is today,” she said. “I know personally where Broward County was when he got here and where it is now, and there’s absolutely no comparison.”