School board approves superintendent search ad, sets $1.75–$2.25 salary range and three‑year contract

The Monroe County School Board on Tuesday approved the advertisement and timeline for its superintendent search after a Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) workshop that summarized community forums, a 542‑response public survey and a draft list of desired qualities and qualifications.

The board approved a three‑year contract for the new superintendent, set a base salary range of $1.75 to $2.25 (thousand per month, as presented in fiscal documents) with competitive benefits commensurate with experience, and agreed the district will offer a relocation stipend and consider other negotiated incentives during contract talks.

FSBA consultant Andrea Messina led the workshop with Dr. Rice and told board members the online survey had, as of the morning of the meeting, 519 English responses, 19 Spanish and 4 Haitian Creole responses and that the survey results aligned with community forums. "The number one strength was the teachers and staff," Messina said, and she summarized recurring concerns as teacher recruitment and retention, housing affordability for staff, student support services and transportation limits due to staffing.

Why it matters: the board’s guidance will define the application pool and the criteria used to screen semifinalists and finalists. The board edited the list of "qualities" the district will publish on its website to guide candidates and agreed on minimum and preferred qualifications that will appear in the formal job posting.

What the board decided and why - Qualifications: the board set a minimum of eight years of "increasingly responsible educational administrative leadership experience, or the equivalent," and settled on several preferred qualifications including an earned doctorate (preferred), at least three years of district/cabinet‑level leadership (preferred), classroom teaching experience, and school principal or district‑level experience. The board also agreed the job posting will state a candidate should "demonstrate understanding of Florida education laws and processes." Board members emphasized that the posted qualities (separate from minimum qualifications) should highlight the community's preference that the superintendent be "first and foremost student focused" and "maintain an apolitical mindset." Board Member Mindy urged, "put student focused first and nonpolitical second," and the board adjusted the language accordingly. - Compensation and term: the board recommended a three‑year contract and the $1.75–$2.25 salary range after reviewing state comparisons, cost‑of‑living information and recent changes to state superintendent salary formulas. Messina said the district’s elected‑superintendent salary equivalent for FY24/25 would have been about $1.73 (thousand) under the state formula. Board members agreed to advertise the base salary range and to disclose in the advertisement that a relocation stipend and other negotiated incentives may be available. - Advertisement and outreach: the board agreed to place the job posting on the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) job board and Education Week’s Top School Jobs and to include Florida‑targeted outlets (Florida Association of School Administrators and free state / specialty listings). Messina recommended AASA as the top paid venue for superintendent‑level positions; board members accepted a mix of free and paid venues. - Application process and schedule: FSBA explained how applicant packets are processed and numbered; a candidate’s “applicant number” (the order of a completed application) will be used to determine interview order if needed. The board reviewed a draft timeline for semifinalist vetting and finalist in‑person interviews; FSBA proposed consolidated hotel locations (Marathon area) to minimize travel for finalists and community meet‑and‑greet events across the Upper Keys, Marathon and Key West. Board discussion noted a road construction project in the Upper Keys that could affect travel and attendance.

Discussion and committee edits Board members made multiple line‑edits to the posted "qualities" document during the workshop: moving "student‑focused in decision making" to the top of the personal‑leadership bullets, replacing "nonpartisan" with "apolitical" or "maintains an apolitical mindset," and adding explicit language that the superintendent "understands the complexity of district operations, including transportation, food and nutrition services, maintenance, facilities, and union negotiations." Board Member Darren asked to add specific negotiation experience and the group placed negotiation familiarity under business/finance and operations language.

FSBA also reported engagement metrics from the superintendent search survey and face‑to‑face forums: Messina told the board the top strengths cited were teacher dedication, community support and a student‑centered focus; the top challenges were teacher retention, housing costs for staff, student behavior/discipline and safety concerns. Messina said the survey remained open through the coming Friday and that FSBA would update the board if responses materially changed.

Votes at a glance - Adopt agenda (as modified): motion by Dr. Woltanski, second by Mr. Horan — approved (no recorded dissent). - Approve meeting minutes (Feb. 11): motion by Mr. Horan, second by Mrs. Talbot — approved. - Approve budget summary reports (Dec. 2024): motion by Mr. Horan, second by Mrs. Talbot — approved. - Approve 2025–26 school year calendar and tentative 2026–27 calendar: motion by Dr. Woltanski, second by Mrs. Talbot — approved. - Approve Monroe County School District superintendent advertisement as edited at the workshop: motion by Mr. Horan, second by Mrs. Talbot — approved. - Approve consent agenda (as amended, item moved to action): motion by Mr. Horan, second by Dr. Woltanski — approved. - Approve out‑of‑county travel request for district staff (superintendent / deputy superintendent): motion by Mr. Horan, second by Dr. Woltanski — approved after discussion about having at least one executive remain in‑district.

What was not decided Board members left open the precise dollar amount and structure for relocation payments and negotiated incentives, noting those items typically are handled in contract negotiations with a finalist. They also discussed but did not finalize a uniform requirement for Florida school‑district administrative experience in the minimum qualifications; board members placed Florida experience under "preferred."

Who said what (selected attributions) - Andrea Messina, FSBA consultant: summarized survey counts and findings and walked the board through recommended advertisement venues and the application review process. - Dr. Rice, FSBA consultant: assisted with survey and packet review material presented during the workshop. - Board Member Mindy: urged placing "student focused" as the top personal‑leadership quality and recommended language edits to emphasize apolitical decision making. - Chair Khan: presided over the workshop, directed changes to the advertisement language and confirmed edits would be circulated for inclusion on the board meeting agenda.

Next steps and timeline FSBA will finalize the advertisement language and ad placements, publish the qualities on the district portal, open applications to the advertised deadline (advertisement to run in agreed venues), process application packets and deliver applicant lists and semifinalist vetting materials to the board. The board and FSBA also agreed to begin work on finalist travel logistics and community meet‑and‑greet planning in the Upper Keys, Marathon and Key West.

Ending The board’s formal vote to approve the advertisement and search timeline moves the district into the active recruitment phase; contract details and finalist interview scheduling will follow as applications are received and vetted.