Broward School Board Votes To Keep Embattled Superintendent

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- Broward County school officials voted 6 to 3 Tuesday to retain embattled Superintendent Robert Runcie following a day of heightened emotions and dozens of speakers mostly in support of the school chief.

The school board considered a proposal to terminate Runcie's contract with the district little more than one year after the horrific school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that resulted in the deaths of 17 students and faculty members.

The move to fire Runcie was led by Lori Alhadeff, who was elected to the board after losing her daughter in the tragedy.

"I move to terminate Superintendent Robert Runcie for just cause based on willful neglect of duty effective immediately," Alhadeff said at the meeting ahead of the vote. "Under Mr. Runcie’s leadership 115 of our schools have dropped in letter grades."

Max Schachter, whose son, Alex, was killed in the school shooting, also argued in favor of firing Runcie.

While's Florida's high school graduation rate has risen to 86 percent, he said Broward's graduation rate stands at 84 percent, behind Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties.

"We need new leadership in this district," Schachter said. "Our kids are not secure and they are not learning."

But other residents disagreed.

"There has not been a superintendent who has made improvements to this school district than Robert Runcie," said Janice Hayes, who attended Broward schools as did her children and grandchildren. She said the move to fire Runcie is akin to blaming a pilot for a terrorist attack on an airplane.

"I ask this board do not take Mr. Runcie out of the cockpit. He is the best pilot that this district has ever had," Hayes insisted. "He's the best pilot to help us navigate safely through these turbulent times."

Three days after taking office, Florida's new Republican governor suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel amid cheers over his handling of the Valentine's Day mass shooting. DeSantis named former Coral Springs police sergeant Gregory Tony to fill that post.