Broward school board approves new superintendent's contract
FORT LAUDERDALE - The Broward school board on Tuesday voted to approve an employment contract with incoming Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata.
After a three-hour debate, school board members voted unanimously to finalize their contract with Licata.
There were some changes made to the original negotiated agreement.
The base salary on the three three-year contract dropped from $360,000 to $350,000 per year with a $10,000 bonus year to year if the superintendent raises the district from a "B" to an "A" school district and maintains it. Also, there is a $10,000 additional compensation year to year if there is significant progress on SMART bond projects
Also, instead of a supermajority vote needed for termination, it will be a majority vote.
This vote was supposed to happen last month but it was delayed when there were not enough members to form a quorum. Some of the board members were out of the country, while others tried to attend remotely.
All board members were present for Tuesday's meeting except Nora Rupert who was on the phone.
"So I think the focus is we have a board who is ready to move forward. We have an incoming superintendent who is ready to get to work. And we're going to make sure that we hold him and the district accountable to
get us back to an "A" district," said board member Torey Alston before the meeting.
Licata, formerly an assistant superintendent in Palm Beach County and a Broward native, was named to replace former schools chief Dr. Vicky Cartwright. In the role, he will preside over the sixth-largest school district in the country.
He received his BA in Business Administration and Political Science at the University of Miami and his MS in Educational Leadership from Barry University, according to his online bio.
Licata earned his Ph.D. in Global Leadership from Lynn University with a focus on Preparing Students for the 21st Century Workforce.