Broward schools hold off on money to boost PR

The Broward County School Board knows it has an image problem, but it’s not yet ready to spend money to beef up the public relations staff.

The School Board rejected a request Tuesday to add several new employees to the public relations office. Board members said they want to wait for a new chief public information officer’s job to be filled first.

“We should hire the PIO, allow them to determine the needs of the department,” Board member Robin Bartleman said. “They may not even want these positions.”

The district proposed spending $149,497 for a new public relations director and $210,000 combined for two new specialists. Officials said some of those costs would be offset by eliminating other positions in the department, including a curator at the Old Dillard Museum at Walker Elementary in Fort Lauderdale.

Superintendent Robert Runcie said the district had fewer public relations officials than similarly sized districts.

“We’re like a Fortune 500 company, the largest employer in Broward County,” Runcie said. “If we’re going to have effective communication, we need the resources.”

The school district has suffered a number of public relations hits since the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, which left 17 people dead.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel has reported on how Stoneman Douglas under-reported crime on campus, how the school failed to provide adequate special education services to killer Nikolas Cruz; and how a culture of leniency has allowed unruly students to receive countless second chances.

The district has also faced scrutiny from the national mainstream and conservative media, as well as commenters on social media.

Board member Rosalind Osgood argued for hiring new public relations staff as soon as possible.

“I feel like we’re drowning in this area. I’m about tweeted out,” Osgood said. “This communication piece is so important. We can’t be a stellar district without it.”

In July, Runcie told the School Board he would be demoting Tracy Clark, chief public information, placing her in the unfilled position of director of marketing and strategic communications.

Clark’s salary is now $153,000, and Runcie has indicated her new pay would be similar in her role.

The district received 159 applications to replace Clark. That person is expected to be hired by late October and could make up to $174,870 a year, officials said. stravis@sun-sentinel.com, 561-243-6637 or Twitter @smtravis.

“We should hire the PIO, allow them to determine the needs of the department.”

Robin Bartleman, Broward County School Board member