After a revolving door of leaders in recent years, Broward Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn could be here to stay.
The School Board agreed Tuesday to authorize Board Chairwoman Debbi Hixon to negotiate a contract extension with Hepburn, who was hired last April. The extension could keep him in the district years past June 30, 2027, when his current contract expires.
“Given Dr. Hepburn’s strong performance and the need to continue the stability that we have and the forward momentum, I think it’s in the best interest of our students, staff and our community to discuss a longer-term contract right now,” Hixon told the board.
The school district received its first A grade from the state in more than a decade for the 2023-24 school year, a year that Hepburn served primarily as chief academic officer and then as superintendent. Hixon told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that academic progress reports for the current year show the district is on track to maintain its A.
“I am proud of our progress, including achieving an A rating, but much work is still ahead,” Hepburn said in a statement to the Sun Sentinel after the meeting. “I am grateful for the board’s support, and if my contract is extended, I will continue to honor that trust by advancing our shared vision.”
School Board members didn’t discuss how long the contract extension should be. Hixon told the South Florida Sun Sentinel after the meeting she would like to see it extended an additional three years so that he stays until 2030. The board is expected to approve any contract changes in April or May.
Hixon said Hepburn’s contract was required to come back to the School Board anyway due to a provision he negotiated last year. He had asked last year for a supermajority — 6 of 9 board members — be required to fire him without cause. The board rejected that but agreed to revisit the request after his one-year anniversary, which is April 16.
Another change Hepburn may try to negotiate is the elimination of a residency requirement. He lives in West Palm Beach but agreed to move to Broward by the end of 2025. Some board members argued at the time that he lived too far away, given all the demands of the superintendent. Hixon said she doesn’t see that as an issue today.
“He’s been very accessible. I don’t think it matters where he lives,” she said.
It’s unclear whether Hepburn will try to negotiate a pay increase. His initial $340,000 a year salary was $10,000 below that of his two predecessors, but he’s caught up now due to a 3% raise given this year to district employees.
Several board members praised Hepburn’s performance during Tuesday’s meeting.
“The superintendent has been very responsive in the majority of what this board has requested,” Board member Jeff Holness said. “We have become an A district. I think we have moved significantly in how we market Broward County schools. He has shown significant improvement in how we deal with our parents and our stakeholders in terms of customer service.”
Holness said he supports a longer-term contract “with items that will be favorable to making sure the superintendent continues to do the good work he’s doing.”
Board members have praised Hepburn for helping the district recover from years of turmoil that date back to the 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland.
The tragedy prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to commission a statewide grand jury in 2019 to review safety and operational issues in Broward and other districts. In April 2021, the grand jury indicted then-Superintendent Robert Runcie on a perjury charge, and he agreed to resign. Runcie, who is now the CEO of the national education group Chiefs for Change, has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charge and his case remains open.
Vickie Cartwright replaced Runcie, initially as interim superintendent and then permanent. But her tenure proved problematic after the grand jury report was released, and DeSantis removed and replaced four board members. Some board members and state officials accused her of being too slow to fix problems identified by the grand jury. She was fired and then rehired after some new board members were elected in November 2022 but mutually separated from the district in early 2023.
After a brief period with two temporary superintendents, the School Board hired Peter Licata in June 2023. But after complaints from some administrators and School Board members about his leadership, he abruptly resigned in April 2024, citing health issues.
Hepburn said he’s looking forward to staying a long time.
“My commitment remains unwavering in ensuring every [Broward County Public Schools] student receives a high-quality education while strengthening our partnerships with parents, municipalities, business partners, and the community,” he said.
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