Lake Wales Charter Schools trustees spent more than an hour on Sept. 22 discussing how to comply with Florida law after officials identified two instances in which a trustee’s spouse worked for the schools.
Mr. Arnold, representing the charter system’s legal/administrative team, told trustees the relevant provision is section 1002.33, subsection 26(c) of the Florida Statutes, which “prohibits a charter school governing board member from employing or contracting with his or her spouse.” He said one trustee had resigned so the spouse could remain employed; in the other case the administration proposed that the spouse be employed by a different charter school and Lake Wales would contract for that employee’s services.
The administration’s outline: the spouse would be employed by another charter school, that school would put the employee on its payroll and provide benefits, and Lake Wales would contract for the employee’s services. Mr. Arnold said the administration would present a formal agreement for board consideration only if it is crafted to be legally compliant.
Several trustees opposed moving forward with the proposed arrangement without clearer assurance it would not create the appearance of impropriety. Trustee Andy Blair and Trustee Winfrey, among others, said they were concerned the arrangement would look like a workaround and could undermine recent efforts to increase transparency and rebuild community trust. Trustee Winfrey said she had a “moral issue” with a workaround and would not support it; other trustees echoed concern about the appearance of backroom deals even while expressing personal support for the employee and her family.
Trustees asked the administration and counsel to prepare a written, legally vetted proposal for formal consideration. Mr. Arnold recommended the board call a special meeting to review a final agreement once it is ready; trustees agreed to put the matter on the Oct. 20 regular meeting agenda and to consider whether to schedule a special meeting in the interim.
Discussion-only items and board directions are distinct in the record: the board had no formal vote on the proposed contracting arrangement at the Sept. 22 meeting. Multiple trustees requested a clear legal opinion and gave direction that any agreement must be demonstrably compliant before the board would approve it.
Why it matters: the discussion touches on statutory conflicts-of-interest rules that govern charter-school boards, and trustees said they are prioritizing public trust and process clarity before deciding whether to accept the administration’s proposed solution.