Replacement Broward School Board members sworn in
MIAMI – The Broward County Public School Board has four new school board members.
Governor Ron DeSantis' appointees were promptly sworn in at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. They were selected as a result of a grand jury's report that recommended the removal of four sitting board members due to incompetence and malfeasance.
"I am honored and grateful the governor has entrusted me with the privilege," Ryan Reiter said as he addressed the audience after his swear in.
Shortly after all four men were sworn in, the school board chose new appointee, Torey Alson as chair, and Lori Alhadeff as vice-chair.
Alhadeff's daughter, Alyssa, was among those killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglass shooting.
"I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to bring back trust, respect and accountability," she said.
Because the appointees are filling elected seats, their time will be short, with some seats going up this November or within the next two years.
"I'm not closing my law firm to do this, so it's going to be a busy period of time. But here, there is a lot of challenges," Kevin Tynan said.
He's a former school board member and practicing lawyer. He told CBS4 the grand jury report will provide a road map for security, but they're also now walking into budget season.
"How we spend our dollars is probably the most important thing we can accomplish," Tynan said.
Manuel Serrano, a former baseball player and business owner, knows his time is short. He is planning to review the latest proposals on the table.
"Students and parents, first, academic achievement. I'm going to keep repeating it, with real metrics. Safety, we need to continually address it and have action plans," he said.
Torey Alston is also another businessman as well as a former Broward County commissioner. He thinks the district is in a crisis.
"As we look at the math, writing, reading scores, for all different demographics, so we're in crisis. You need a solid board that understands governing, who understands their role of oversight and their fiduciary responsibility."
The appointees have experience in diverse fields. Reiter comes from construction and military service. He's hoping to address infrastructure issues, but also wants to be there for teachers.
"It is a really delicate balance and so this board is going to really work hard to do that and we're going to support them as much as we can," he said.
Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco was also at the meeting. She's been critical of the grand jury report and of the governor's decision but is looking forward to working with the new appointees.
"They all came out with very positive remarks, number one for the children safety. And I was happy to see that they acknowledged not just students, but the parents, the community taxpayers and the employees," she told CBS4.
Fucsco went on to say further that the union supports new candidates for the open seats coming up in November, including Donna Korn who was suspended due to the report.