Broward schools chief gets a contract extension and $10,000 raise
Sun Sentinel | By Scott Travis |
As Broward School Board members grapple with major budget cuts, there’s one place they’ve decided not to skimp — their superintendent.
The School Board voted Tuesday to give Superintendent Howard Hepburn a $10,000 raise as part of a contract extension, even though it was a request he didn’t ask for in negotiations. The increase brings his salary up to $360,200.
The School Board also agreed to a request Hepburn did ask for, extending his tenure until June 30, 2030, which is three years longer than his initial contract.
Board members were divided on whether to give him the raise, noting a discussion the School Board just had last week about a need to make painful cuts over the next year due to the district’s failure over the years to make adequate staff cuts despite years of dwindling enrollment.
Still, they were unanimous in their praise for Hepburn, who started a year ago, and their desire to extend his contract.
Board members credited Hepburn with bringing stability to a district that’s had four permanent and two temporary superintendents in the past four years. The district has also faced frequent turnover among School Board members with Gov. Ron DeSantis even removing and replacing four in 2022 due to a scathing grand jury report.
Hepburn was also praised for the district’s recent academic success. Last year, no district schools were rated D or F based on student achievement, and the district received its first overall A grade since 2011.
“The weight of this district is on his shoulders, and we’re so lucky to have Dr. Hepburn,” Board member Lori Alhadeff said. “One thing I wrote down on my paper is, ‘stability, stability, stability.’ Dr. Hepburn is the one that’s creating that for us. We were on a rocky path, and he has guided us.”
Hepburn was hired April 16, 2024, after then-Superintendent Peter Licata abruptly announced his retirement, citing health issues. The board immediately picked Hepburn as the replacement without a search.
His initial salary was $340,000, which was $10,000 less than predecessors Licata and Vickie Cartwright. School Board members said at the time that was due to Hepburn having less experience than the others. Hepburn had been the district’s chief academic officer for less than a year, and prior to that, he served as a mid-level administrator in Palm Beach County and a principal in Orange County.
Under his contract, he got the same as the average raise given to district employees, which this year was 3%, bringing his salary up to $350,200. With the $10,000 raise, that rises to $360,200.
In his initial investigations a year ago, Hepburn asked for a requirement that he can only be fired without cause if a supermajority on the board — six of nine members — agree. The School Board rejected that at the time but agreed to revisit the issue on his one-year anniversary.
During recent contract negotiations with Board Chairwoman Debbi Hixon, Hepburn agreed to drop the request for the supermajority in exchange for some other provisions, including removing a requirement that he move from West Palm Beach to Broward County. Hixon and the board agreed to that.
Hepburn did not ask for a salary increase in his negotiations. However, during Tuesday’s meeting, Board member Jeff Holness urged the School Board to give Hepburn an extra $10,000, since he started off $10,000 below his predecessors.
“I think that this is our way of saying ‘thank you’ now that we know you have gotten results. We’re going to bring you lateral with the prior superintendents,” Holness said. “I think this is a small gesture from us to say we recognize what you’ve contributed to this school district, and we want to keep you and we want to express our gratitude.”
Hixon said a new raise for Hepburn, on top of the recent raise he’d already gotten, might send a bad message to rank-and-file staff members. That’s likely the reason he didn’t ask for a raise, Hixon said.
“He’s been in the mix of all of our employees and hearing the strife and the teachers and the bus drivers,” she said. “We’re in a very difficult place in terms of our finances. Maybe we could look at the contract next year and see where we are with our funds and what it looks like, so that we can bring everyone up.”
Alhadeff said the district was already saving $15,000 by taking out moving expenses from his contract, since his residence will remain in Palm Beach County.
The raise passed 5-4, with board members Hixon, Sarah Leonardi, Allen Zeman and Nora Rupert voting no.
The overall contract extension passed unanimously.
Leonardi said she’s been impressed with Hepburn’s calm nature and his ability to navigate through difficult times.
“The only times I’ve ever seen him really get fired up is when he’s talking about kids and what’s good for kids,” she said. “And I think that’s really indicative of who he is deep in his soul and why he’s right for this district.”
Hepburn said after the vote that he’s grateful for the board’s support.
“I don’t take this responsibility lightly, and I plan to make you proud through my continued work and leadership,” he said. “While I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, I know there’s still much to do. I’m committed to building on our past successes and strengthening relationships with our students, families, businesses, municipalities, and the entire community.
“We have difficult conversations ahead, but by working together with transparency, collaboration, and a shared focus on students, I know we will make BCPS a better, stronger, and more resilient district for generations to come,” he said.
