FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The saga over Broward County Public Schools’ plans to address shrinking revenue and declining enrollment numbers continued during another board meeting, Monday.
As has been the case in recent meetings discussing Superintendent Howard Hepburn’s proposed organizational chart, several district employees pleaded with board members to protect their jobs.
“Vote no and rebuild faith in you,” said one BCPS employee.
“You wanna keep us as an ‘A’ district. So how do you do that? By keeping the people,” said a speaker.
“Stop striking out, stop pissing away the money to vendors when we have employees who could be doing it ourselves,” said another speaker.
Several speakers pushed for board members to instead look at cutting executive positions with high annual salaries.
“We need to start from the top,” said a speaker.
“The math isn’t mathing,” said a second speaker.
“Undervalued, disrespected and unappreciated,” said a third speaker.
Some board members aired frustrations over not being able to find a way forward.
“Nobody’s happy. Zero people are happy, no one’s happy. Staff’s not happy, the students aren’t happy, the parents aren’t happy, but we lost $225 million and what we have to do is put the best team on the field that we can,” said Dr. Allen Zeman.
Board member Adam Cervera asked his colleagues to vote against the proposal.
“What are we going to do to save Broward Schools? I can tell you where it starts right here: Vote no,” said Cervera.
Cervera then added his own suggestions for the plan, which primarily included cutting several upper management positions.
“My motion is to cut executive director of food and nutrition services. My motion is to cut the executive director of student transportation and fleet services,” said Cervera.
At least one of his proposed cuts gained enough support from fellow board members to be passed.
Some attendees at Monday’s meeting thanked Cervera for the proposals.
“Thank you for cutting from the top, which is what the public is asking for,” said a woman.
“Thank you, Mr. Cervera, for being courageous,” said a second woman.
At one point, Zeman suggested that further changes to the organizational chart should be done through another revised version presented before the board.
The discussions for Monday’s meeting surpassed six hours as board members continue working out a way forward.
The original goal from Hepburn’s proposed organizational chart was to reduce the district’s non-instructional workforce by 1,000.
Following a recess where several changes were made to the proposal, staffers returned to continue further discussions.
Board members are expected to vote on passing the amended organizational chart.
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