10/23/2025
🍎 The third and final installment of our email exchange as of 10/19/2025
“Good Evening!
I don't disagree and through the years have said some of the same things you bring up. When I said cutting positions ---honestly all positions would be looked at (not just at the school level) ---but again ---whose jobs do you "eliminate"?
We have an elected superintendent, and superintendent's salaries are set by the state of Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research. This group sets salaries of EVERY county elected official (Sheriff, County Commissioners, Superintendents, Election Supervisors, etc.). The salaries had not been adjusted for many years so recently (in the last year or so) they made a correction which raised salaries of those elected positions ---based on the size of the district or county where they serve. We have NEVER voted to give the Super a raise over what is set by the state, and he has NEVER asked for a raise. As a matter of fact, he did not even take a salary in his first year as Superintendent. If we had an appointed Superintendent, we would have to pay even a larger salary to the Superintendent.
Superintendents are able to select their positions at the district office, and I do know while it may be perceived there are a lot of people who are not needed, that is the Superintendent's role ---personnel. He gets to pick who he thinks will serve the best interests of the district. While I can't speak to every one of those positions, I do know MANY if not MOST of these positions are vital to the function of the district. EVERYTHING will be looked at in the coming months to see where cuts can be made.
Teachers and support staff are VITAL to our schools, and we do recognize that. Rocky's wife is a teacher - he and we all understand the position we are in.
Thanks for the communication - hope you all have a great weekend!
Blessings!
Laurie”
🍎Our response
“Thank you again Mrs. Cox for your involvement in this conversation. I do appreciate the dialogue.
I want to correct some information which I believe is where some of the disconnect in our conversation is happening. My hope is that by clarifying this misinformation we can begin to see our common ground.
You stated that Hanna’s salary is set by the state. And that is true. The statute I sent in a previous email (Florida statute 145.19 Annual percentage increases based on increase for state career service employees; limitation) explains that each year it is based on a percentage. I am familiar with the state published booklet that has what the pay should be if he had not skipped any raises (https://edr.state.fl.us/Content/local-government/reports/finsal24.pdf). But since he has, he must do the equation outlined in statute to determine the percentage, this last year it was 8.7%. Florida statute 1001.47 is clear that if he is to receive a raise higher than the percentage, it must go to the board for a vote: “However a district school board, by majority vote, may approve a salary increase in excess of the amount specified in this section (statute 145.19 is referenced in this statute)”
To address your statement about the superintendent being able to select the positions at the office, this is true. However, you are still the governing body. Mr. Hanna has been added or copied on all of these conversations and he has yet to respond. We encourage dialogue with the superintendent and are open to his reasons for those positions. Unfortunately he is exhibiting an unwillingness to sit at this table and work on solutions.
Furthermore, most positions in the district require board approval (for example the one the board is currently considering). Even if there is a position that doesn’t require board approval, it does require scrutiny to why it is essential and necessary- a detailed explanation of the public good for a position being added.
To answer your question on whose jobs do we eliminate, my stance will always be that we eliminate the executive positions first. While you and I may disagree on the importance of the executive roles as it relates to our hard working neighbors, we both can agree that without teachers and support staff you don’t have a school. You have empty buildings.
If you recall, during the recession there was a reduction in superintendents. A contrast to this district’s decision to add superintendents this year.
In my unsolicited assertion, your district is hemorrhaging money and we are currently trying to triage. If the district isn’t willing to take a much closer look at the budget and isn’t willing to cut executive positions, then our neighbors and our community are going to be the ones to lose. You will continue to skip raises, close schools, deny resources to students and families until there eventually is no one left to learn or to teach.
My current concern lies in the board and the superintendent’s unwillingness to open dialogue and healthy conversation from outside perspectives. I don’t have all the solutions but there are so many of our neighbors that do have solutions and don’t feel heard by the board or district.
Your principals are our neighbors that bridge the gap between the executives and the teachers, are we asking them to evaluate the district? You have buildings full of individuals with degrees and leaders with experience that aren’t being consulted during these trying times.
Is there an admin chart that states the department and each employee that reports to that department (the reason I ask is that I’ve been unable to find any semblance of an employee structure).
I truly believe that conversations are where we begin to change. Change requires us to have a willingness to listen to other perspectives. For example, when you explained how the salary is set by the state it occurred to me that you may not be familiar with the wording of the statute indicating that it is the percentage limitation and the booklet is a guideline for those who have never skipped years or reduced their salaries.
The more the school board and superintendent shuts out our neighbors, the more the distrust grows towards the district and their handling of our public monies.
To continue the conversation, if we are looking at consolidation, what factors are being considered?
We look forward to working towards more solutions and receiving feedback from the CFO as well as the report from the outside CFO.
[FlCapitalTea]
🫶Keep the conversation going. We are better together
