Broward County Public Schools’ superintendent resigned suddenly last week but, despite a busy hiring season across K12, there won’t be a national search to replace him.
Superintendent Peter Licata cited medical reasons for stepping down less than a year into the job. The district’s school board immediately hired Howard Hepburn, Broward’s deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, to fill the seat.
“As superintendent, my focus remains on moving our district to an ‘A’ grade and ensuring all students receive a world-class education,” Hepburn said in a statement. “We will continue to prioritize closing achievement gaps, increasing student access to accelerated courses and implementing strategies to support continuous student achievement.”
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Hepburn was previously an instructional superintendent in The School District of Palm Beach County and a principal in Orange County Public Schools, both in Florida.
One superintendent who has found a new home is Lisa Krueger, who is taking the helm at the West Seneca School District in New York after having led the Newfane Central School District. She was also an administrator in the Orchard Park Central School District.
Keith Price, currently superintendent of South Carolina’s Georgetown County School District, is now the superintendent-elect
of Lexington County School District One and is set to take the post in the summer of 2025.
First-time superintendents step up
Several first-time superintendents have also been appointed in the last week. Nerlande Anselme has been named superintendent of New York’s Rome City School District after serving as the assistant superintendent of student and family services for the Rush-Henrietta Central School District.
In Texas, Casey Whittle was selected as the lone finalist to become superintendent of Whitehouse ISD. He is currently the assistant superintendent for human resources at Wylie ISD. Magnolia ISD has promoted its deputy superintendent, Jason Bullock, to serve as its next leader.
Steve Harrison, an assistant superintendent in the Appleton Area School District, has been chosen as the next superintendent of Wisconsin’s Neenah Joint School District. Mount Airy City Schools in North Carolina promoted deputy superintendent Philip Brown as its next leader.
Colorado’s Lewis-Palmer School District 38 has picked its next superintendent, Stacie Datteri, who is now assistant superintendent at Greeley-Evans Weld County School District 6 in the same state. Finally, Mayfield Independent Schools in Kentucky has promoted its high school principal, Billy Edwards, to its superintendent’s post.
More new hires
- Annie Azarloza, Rochester School District (New Hampshire)
- Chris Caleris, North Olmsted City Schools (Ohio)
- Tim Grove, Linton-Stockton School Corporation (Indiana)
- Denice Hirt, Fremont City Schools (Ohio)
- Stephanie Hubbard, Newtown-Harris R-III School District (Missouri)
- Bob Jaszczak, Red Wing Public Schools (Minnesota)
- Derrick Joel, Norris School District 160 (Nebraska)
- Tonya Milligan, Oxford Community Schools, (Michigan)
- Shane Patrick, Siloam Springs School District (Arkansas)
- Jody Purvis, Livingston Parish Public Schools (Louisiana)
