Martin County School Board removes unpaid presidential‑leave language after impasse hearing

The Martin County School Board voted unanimously June 9 to reject a special magistrate's recommendation and remove the contract provision that allowed an unpaid presidential leave for the Martin County Education Association president, a provision found at Article 11.2(i) of the collective bargaining agreement.

The vote followed a statutorily required public hearing under Florida Statute 447.403 and 447.4034 at which the Martin County Education Association (MCEA) and the superintendent each had 30 minutes to present their positions. Martin Powell, representing MCEA, and Matt Theobald, MCEA president, urged the board to accept the magistrate's recommendation to retain the language. Jeff Slinker, presenting the superintendent's recommendation, urged the board to strike Article 11.2(i), citing administrative burdens, staffing and Florida Retirement System (FRS) uncertainties, and a viable alternative in the contract (Article 11.2(g).

"This presidential release provides this individual protection ... they still remain an employee of the district for purposes of retirement, for purposes of credit, for service," Martin Powell said during MCEA's presentation. Powell argued the provision had been used without incident when former president Karen Riciniti took leave in the 2022–23 school year and said the union offered to indemnify the district against liability.

Matt Theobald, the union president, said he and other teachers are "members of this community" and described the leave as a tool that helped MCEA grow membership from 46 percent to 61 percent during his full‑time release year. Theobald said removing the provision was part of a broader set of political attacks on unions that had local effects.

Jeff Slinker explained the superintendent's rejection of the magistrate's recommendation and told the board the superintendent believes removing 11.2(i) is "in the public interest, including the interest of the public employees involved." Slinker said the magistrate had credited testimony about administrative burdens but found them outweighed by benefits; the superintendent disagreed, pointing to alternatives in Article 11.2(g) that provide leave for bargaining unit members without creating the same legal and payroll complications.

Board discussion focused on whether a person on full release could at the same time be treated as a continuing district employee for purposes such as supervision, evaluation, workers' compensation and FRS credit. Several board members cited indemnification limits and administrative workload as determinative. Board member Miss Powers moved to reject the special magistrate's recommendation and remove Article 11.2(i); Miss Roberts seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Reject the special magistrate's recommendation and remove Article 11.2(i) (presidential leave) from the MCEA collective bargaining agreement. Mover: Miss Powers. Second: Miss Roberts. Outcome: approved unanimously (yes: Board Chair; Dr. Moriarty; Miss Roberts; Miss Powers; Miss Russell; Miss Pritchett; no: 0).

The board did not adopt any additional directives at the hearing. Board members and staff noted that the contract still provides an alternative leave mechanism (Article 11.2(g)) that MCEA members, including the president, may use. The superintendent's recommendation and the board vote leave in place that alternative provision while removing the presidential‑leave pass‑through language the magistrate had urged the board to keep.

The board meeting record shows prior related proceedings: the magistrate (James Mastroianni) had earlier recommended leaving the language in place after receiving testimony that the provision had been implemented in the past without problems. The superintendent rejected that portion of the magistrate's recommendation on June 9, 2025, bringing the issue to the board for this public hearing and final decision.

The board adjourned after the vote.