Broward School Board votes to keep Runcie in his job as superintendent

The Broward County School Board voted against firing Superintendent Robert Runcie, an unsurprising show of support one year after Florida’s deadliest school shooting forever changed the nation’s sixth largest district.

In its 6-3 decision, the board deliberated on Runcie’s performance beyond the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High that killed 17 and wounded 17 more on Feb. 14, 2018. Those points — mostly improvements among academic and disciplinary measures for minority students — were highlighted by the 90 public speakers who packed the district’s Fort Lauderdale headquarters for the vote Tuesday. All but five speakers voiced support for Runcie.

Lori Alhadeff, who ran for the Broward School Board and was elected in August after her daughter Alyssa was among those killed, tried to paint a broader picture of why she said Runcie had failed as a superintendent. She made a last-minute addition to her proposal that outlined his cause for termination, including mishandling the $800 million SMART bond program, deciding not to implement an independent office of the inspector general as recommended by a 2011 grand jury report and failing to complete evaluations of senior staff.

“I recognize this is a tough conversation we have to have today,” Alhadeff said. “As board members our No. 1 job is to provide oversight and accountability for Broward County Public Schools.”

She added: “As you’re aware, we’re not under a grand jury investigation because we’re running so smoothly.”

Many speakers — mayors, activists, community leaders, school principals and parents — noted the racial and socioeconomic element to the debate over Runcie’s career. The arguments of the parents from Parkland, a mostly affluent and white area, were juxtaposed with those of the African-American community and central Broward County.

“I hate to say it, but many of us are avoiding the real facts that this is about privilege,” said speaker Darryl Holsendolph, a member of the NAACP and 100 Black Men of South Florida. “All communities have had to deal with the death of a child, whether it be a school building or across the street in the school or in a nearby park.

“Never have we called upon the firing of the mayor, police chief, county commissioners, yet alone a superintendent,” he said.

After four hours of public comment, the last speaker came as a surprise: Diana Runcie, the superintendent’s wife of 32 years.

“I could not sit there and not add my voice because I am actually incredulous,” she said. “I am incredulous because we are having a vote about not retaining the hardest working man in Broward County, who has sacrificed everything and has gone over and beyond to educate your children, to protect your children, and in fact to love your children. I see it every day. I live it.”

“You have a diamond in that seat,” she added. “It is yours to lose.”

The audience broke decorum to applaud her.

Board members Patricia Good, Laurie Rich Levinson, Donna Korn, Ann Murray and Rosalind Osgood staunchly defended Runcie, but it was chairwoman Heather Brinkworth’s final comments that signaled that Runcie would stay on board.

Brinkworth, who was viewed as a possible swing vote, acknowledged that improvements in academics had been lagging but ultimately decided against firing Runcie. She did, however, propose to have evaluations of Runcie more often.

“These reasons, I don’t see willful neglect,” she said. “I don’t see the things that are outlined. I do see issues, but those are not the issues being addressed.”

Robin Bartleman and Nora Rupert were the only board members to side with Alhadeff. Bartleman, who has been a vocal critic of Runcie and staunch defender of Alhadeff, was the only board member who did not comment before the vote.

“I honestly was surprised that I had two other board members that had the courage to vote with me for removing Mr. Runcie,” Alhadeff wrote in a text message following the vote. “The grand jury investigation will ultimately hold the board and superintendent accountable.”

Alhadeff said she expected the overwhelming support for Runcie. She said she did not view the vote as a defeat.

“I know there’s a lot of people who support Mr. Runcie, but I question, do they know the truth?”

Runcie came to the Broward County school district as superintendent in 2011. In November 2017, his contract was extended for the second time by the School Board to expire in June 2023.

He told reporters after the board’s vote that he wanted to work with Alhadeff.

“She wants the same thing we all want,” he said. “We want safe schools.”

This story was originally published March 5, 2019 at 5:57 PM.