Alachua School Board approves superintendent’s CFO pick after heated debate over qualifications
Summary
The Alachua County School Board approved the superintendent’s personnel slate — including Michael Renick for chief financial officer — by a 3–2 vote on Dec. 16 after members questioned whether he met the written job qualifications and whether the hiring process produced adequate public records.
The Alachua County School Board on Dec. 16 approved the superintendent’s personnel recommendations, including the appointment of Michael Renick as chief financial officer, following more than an hour of debate over his qualifications and the district’s documentation of the hiring process.
Board members divided sharply over whether Renick met the district’s written CFO qualifications and whether sufficient interview and credential-verification records were available for public review. Member Plavic and Doctor McNeely recorded dissenting votes; the motion passed 3–2.
Supporters, including Superintendent Dr. Patton, told the board Renick had 26 years of experience in fund-based accounting and had worked with the district for several months, demonstrating leadership and process improvements. “He’s shown leadership, initiative and has been able to assume responsibilities from the day he got into Alachua County Public Schools,” Dr. Patton said, summarizing her recommendation.
Opponents raised procedural and scale concerns. Member Plavic said a public-records response showed no training records or interview scoring sheets for the appointment and argued that without those records the board lacked a defensible, documented selection process. “There is currently no public record by which the board or the public can confirm that required hiring and verification steps were completed for a senior executive position,” Plavic said.
Attorney Delaney told the board that under Florida statute 1012.22 the board may reject superintendent personnel recommendations only for legally defined "good cause," and that the superintendent has statutory authority to select staff for board-approved positions. “Unless good cause exists, the law says you should support the recommendation,” Delaney said.
Several board members said they were persuaded by Renick’s on-the-job performance since joining the district and by the superintendent’s assessment. Doctor Rockwell and Miss Certain expressed confidence in the candidate’s ability to manage the district’s complex finance rules and to work with the board to produce timely, accurate reports.
The motion on the personnel slate—moved and seconded per the agenda—was approved. The board did not record an individual roll-call in the public minutes beyond noting the final 3–2 vote and the two dissenting members.
What’s next: The board’s approval makes Renick the district CFO; several members said they expect continued evaluation of district financial reporting and asked staff to provide any outstanding documentation requested via public records. The meeting record shows Member Plavic asked for written confirmation of training and hiring documentation to be placed in the public record.
