Dr. Howard Hepburn, Superintendent of Broward County Schools
By Joanne Clark
(Source: CNW)
Broward County school officials are pushing back against criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who suggested the state consider taking control of the district due to what he called years of budget mismanagement and favoritism toward entrenched interests.
The comments come as the district continues to navigate a series of financial scandals, including abruptly withdrawing from a nearly $3 million office-space lease that led to a lawsuit, misallocating teacher referendum funds, and a “botched multimillion-dollar procurement process” designed to select a contractor for overseeing construction projects.
In a letter to state Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, Superintendent Howard Hepburn outlined recent measures taken to improve the district’s financial situation, including leaving non-critical positions vacant and reviewing internal processes. “Over the past year, our school board and I have taken decisive and responsible actions to strengthen financial controls, improve accountability and generate meaningful cost savings,” Hepburn wrote. He added that the district is working to identify and correct past structural inefficiencies that contributed to long-term financial challenges.
School board member Adam Cervera, who was appointed to the board by DeSantis, last week called for a full-scale review of the district’s finances by the state, including the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “This crisis is not the result of bad luck. This is the result of years of mismanagement, wasteful spending, and a complete lack of proper oversight, and it has only gotten worse in just the past few months,” Cervera said. “We’ve seen scandal after scandal. We need transparency, accountability, and the confidence that this mismanagement will not be ignored or swept under the rug.”
DeSantis previously criticized the district for being run to benefit “the entrenched interests, particularly the school unions, rather than the parents and the students,” suggesting that state intervention may be necessary to correct the mismanagement.
Hepburn welcomed the state’s involvement, describing the government as a “valued partner” in efforts to streamline operations, identify efficiencies, and ensure long-term financial stability for students, families, and taxpayers.