Marion County School Board appoints Dr. Danielle Brewer interim superintendent; board leaves door open for national search

The Marion County School Board voted 5-0 on April 29 to appoint Dr. Danielle Brewer as interim superintendent under a one-year employment agreement that runs through April 29, 2026.

The appointment followed nearly an hour of public comment at the board’s Ocala meeting, where parents, teachers and local party leaders urged the board either to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent or to allow Dr. Brewer to compete in any future search. The vote approved both the interim appointment and the one-year contract; the board said it will consider whether to hold a national search at a later date.

Board members framed the vote narrowly as approval of an interim contract rather than a decision about a permanent superintendent. "Tonight we're making a decision about an interim superintendent and we're voting on an interim superintendent contract," said Dr. Sarah James, District 5. "And that contract turns out on 04/29/2026." Reverend Carrie Cummings, District 3, said the meeting was not the time to decide the permanent-search process: "Tonight is not to determine process of how we get a permanent superintendent. This tonight is about the interim superintendent."

Community speakers at the meeting offered contrasting perspectives but many endorsed Dr. Brewer’s leadership record. Ben Whitehouse, a Marion County resident, said, "I…