Florida Virtual School board narrows CEO posting, makes Orlando the CEO's primary office

The Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees on a special-call meeting approved a revised notice of vacancy for the position of president and chief executive officer, extending the candidate application period and amending several qualification and office-location provisions.

Katarina Alfaro Lopez, senior director for human resources, told the board the notice was scheduled to go live on Nov. 14 and that the initial posting plan called for a 60-day window. "The notice of vacancy will go live on November 14. It will remain open for 60 days," she said, and staff originally planned to close the application on Jan. 13, 2026. The board voted to extend the closing date to Jan. 30, 2026; staff said that would shift HR's candidate list delivery by one day to Feb. 3.

The posting lists a single minimum qualification (a master’s degree in business administration, educational leadership, public administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience) and several suggested experience bullets. Alfaro Lopez reviewed the recruitment timeline the board will follow: HR will provide a list of minimally qualified applicants in early February, the board will select semifinalists by Feb. 10, preliminary HR interviews are planned for March 2, board interviews for March 10, and the final selection is expected in April with onboarding targeted for July 1, 2026.

Board members debated whether the CEO should be required to work on-site in Orlando. One member said in-person leadership sets the tone, while others urged flexibility. The board adopted an amendment that the Orlando headquarters be designated the CEO's "primary office" and that the CEO be expected to have "regular and frequent" operations there; frequent travel for meetings, trainings and conferences was retained as a requirement. "We face a real political problem if our CEO is not a resident of Florida," one board member said during that discussion.

To broaden the candidate pool, the board voted to reclassify the detailed experience items as "suggested experience" rather than absolute requirements, and to allow "related fields or equivalent experience" to satisfy the education criterion. The board also confirmed it will describe the role as offering a "competitive salary and benefits" but will not post a specific salary range; Alfaro Lopez said salary negotiations would occur later if a candidate is selected.

The board conducted voice votes on the amendments and the final motion to adopt the notice as amended. The transcript records "Aye" votes and the chair announced the motion carried; a formal roll-call tally of named votes was not recorded in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: staff will post the notice, accept applications through Jan. 30, 2026, provide screening materials to the board in early February and present semifinalists and scheduling for interviews at the February and March meetings. The board adjourned and reconvenes for its regular quarterly meeting on Dec. 2, 2025.