Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Supt. Robert Runcie speaks to the school board after surviving an effort to fire him.
Broward County Supt. Robert Runcie speaks to the school board after surviving an effort to fire him.
Broward County Supt. Robert Runcie speaks to the school board after surviving an effort to fire him.
Broward County Supt. Robert Runcie speaks to the school board after surviving an effort to fire him.
Broward County Supt. Robert Runcie speaks to the school board after surviving an effort to fire him.

Broward County (Fla.) Board votes to keep superintendent

March 6, 2019
Board members vote 6 to 3 to reject a motion to fire Robert Runcie, who has led the district since 2011.

The Broward County (Fla.) School Board has rejected an effort to fire Superintendent Robert Runcie.

After a daylong meeting with hours of comments from community members, board members voted 6 to 3 Tuesday to defeat a motion to terminate's Runcie's contract.

The effort to remove Runcie from his job has been led by board member Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa was one of the 17 people killed in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Runcie and district administrators have been criticized by many community members in the year since the shooting attack. Critics have faulted Runcie for the failures involving school security, camera surveillance and discipline procedures related to the Parkland shooting.

 The majority of the board spoke in support of Runcie.

"Mr. Runcie believes in our students, and I believe in him," said board member Patricia Good.

Board member Laurie Rich Levinson said, "It is just wrong to make Superintendent Runcie the scapegoat."

After the vote, Runcie said that he hoped that the turmoil the district has endured since the Parkland shooting would be used as an opportunity to united the community.

"Now is the time for our entire community to come together," Runcie said.

He added that along with focusing on safety and security, he wanted the school system to focus on "making sure we're delivering a great education to all of our kids in Broward County."

The Broward County district is the sixth-largest school system in the United States. with more than 270,000 students. Runcie has been superintendent since 2011. He came to Broward from Chicago, where he had been a district administrator for several years.

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...