A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Editorial
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
It appears that Broward County Public Schools may be headed toward another superintendent search sooner rather than later and if history is any guide, the damage may already be done.
Despite sound advice to conduct a national search to secure a qualified, seasoned leader for the sixth-largest school district in the nation, the School Board chose instead to appoint the sitting assistant superintendent, Howard Hepburn, following the sudden and surprising resignation of Superintendent Peter Licata. I wanted to believe that inexperience and poor counsel were at the root of this decision. But as events continue to unfold, it is becoming painfully clear that favoritism, backroom maneuvering, and million-dollar decisions are being made long before any transparent process begins.
Two failed deals have now exposed troubling patterns, questionable leadership, heavy-handed tactics, and a culture where staff are allegedly bullied into pushing contracts through without following proper rules of engagement.
Take the multi-million-dollar lease with HANDY, a respected organization that provides vital services to youth aging out of foster care. HANDY’s mission is commendable, and supporting such work is important. But the question remains: Why would Broward County Public Schools lease space in another organization’s facility when the district is hemorrhaging students, closing schools, and sitting on underutilized or empty campuses it claims must sell to balance the budget?
When School Board members learned that crucial facts had been omitted or misrepresented, they reversed course. HANDY has now filed a lawsuit against the district, yet another black eye for a system already struggling under the weight of its own decisions.
Then there is the matter involving Wanda Paul, a district administrator allegedly circumventing established processes to keep an unqualified vendor in contention. Staff seemingly pressured or forced to make round pegs fit square holes to achieve predetermined outcomes. That is not leadership. That is manipulation.
So, we must ask the obvious question: Is this incompetence or corruption?
Frankly, the answer may not matter. The consequences are the same.
We have seen this movie before in Broward. Four of nine School Board members were once removed, and a superintendent and general counsel were arrested and charged with crimes. It is not alarmist to say that another grand jury investigation may be looming. If lessons were learned, they are not evident.
If anything, recent developments suggest that the district has doubled down on the very behaviors that brought it to ruin before.
A recent audit has ignited outrage among parents and taxpayers, revealing systemic mismanagement, questionable procurement practices, and a disturbing lack of accountability. More than 100 school construction projects remain incomplete, including Rickards Middle School, which astonishingly still lacks a roof years after funding was approved.
If the audit is correct, procurement irregularities where contracts were awarded to bidders who failed to meet financial requirements, with staff allegedly waving critical safeguards to push deals through anyway. That is not oversight, that is negligence at best and something far worse at worst.
Critics are right to say that Broward’s budget crisis is not about lack of money, but gross mismanagement. As one community advocate put it, “This is not incompetence, it’s a deliberate pattern. They pretend to be transparent, but their processes are designed to achieve their desired outcomes.”
The shadow of the failed Smart Bond program, launched in 2014 and responsible for leadership upheaval in 2022, still looms large. It appears that individuals connected to those past failures continue to wield influence today. And yet, incredibly, the district is reportedly considering another bond referendum.
Let me be clear: Any new bond must be rejected outright until transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership are restored. The Board has not earned the public’s trust. You do not reward failure with billions more.
The audit also flags the HANDY lease as potentially violating Florida procurement ethics laws and public entity crime statutes, due to inaccurate or incomplete information provided to the Board. These are not minor technicalities they are serious legal red flags.
Meanwhile, Broward continues to lose students in droves. Closing schools is a temporary fix for a deeper, systemic wound. Apply the tourniquet. Stop the bleeding. But understand this: while white and affluent children will likely survive these failures, Black, Hispanic, and poor children will bear the brunt of this lackluster leadership and corruption.
That is unacceptable.
Community leaders are right to demand:
- An independent investigation into procurement practices and leadership decisions
- A moratorium on all new bond referendums
- Full disclosure of pending projects and financial commitments
The time for patience has passed. Parents, taxpayers, and voters must mobilize. Campaign against this bond. Demand accountability. Demand better.
Because if we don’t, history will repeat itself and once again, our children will pay the price.
