Former Oshkosh school superintendent fired from job in Florida after Parkland report
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The superintendent of Florida's second-largest school district — who was previously Oshkosh's school superintendent — was fired after a grand jury report related to the Parkland school massacre.
The Broward County school board voted 5-4 Monday night to fire Vickie Cartwright, who has held the position since summer 2021.
The school district has been embroiled in controversy since a grand jury investigation into the Parkland shooting also uncovered unrelated allegations of mismanagement. A former official was charged with contract-rigging, a former superintendent was charged with perjury and four school board members were eventually removed.
Cartwright served as superintendent of the Oshkosh Area School District for three years, resigning in 2021.
More:Oshkosh Area School District Superintendent Vickie Cartwright resigns, effective June 30
Cartwright was hired by the OASD board in 2018. Her time working in Oshkosh coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she and other district leaders faced frustration from some parents for their handling of the district's plan.
Cartwright also was the subject of an anonymous complaint from some district administrators that was sent to the school board in November 2020, saying she hindered staff with a lack of clear communication and decision-making and created a culture without trust in the district.
In 2019, she was a central figure in a censorship controversy involving a story by the Oshkosh North High School student newspaper.
In Broward County, audits reported in October of two contracts with long-term vendors — one for graduation caps and gowns and one for training and education management — found that parents and the district were overcharged by some $1.4 million.
Cartwright has frequently been criticized as failing to fix a district culture allowing waste and corruption, and the board unanimously reprimanded her in October and gave her 90 days to report on her progress.
All five board members voting against her in Florida's most Democratic-leaning county were appointed in August by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has said he wants to prioritize accountability in the county. Four of those members will be gone next week, when they are replaced by board members who won election this month.
"Dr. Vickie Cartwright is a wonderful individual, but leading the nation's sixth-largest school district requires a hands-on leader and someone that will make real change," Torey Alston, who was elected last week, said in a statement. "Based on recent systemic issues, the Board decided to go in a different direction."
More:Oshkosh school board confirms Bryan Davis as district's next superintendent
Some board members said the motion was unfair since they had just asked Cartwright on Oct. 25 to address a long list of concerns.
"This action is impulsive and inappropriate at this moment, and I cannot support this," member Sarah Leonardi said.
Cartwright, who was named interim superintendent in August 2021 and hired permanently in February, didn't immediately comment on her firing. Her contract, which goes through late 2024, requires she be given 60 days notice of termination, and she's entitled to $134,600 in severance.
Cartwright's predecessor, Robert Runcie, resigned in 2021 after perjury charges were brought against him.
Monday's meeting was publicly advertised, but there was nothing on the agenda suggesting that Cartwright would be fired, the South Florida SunSentinel reported. The newspaper said one public speaker who regularly attends board meetings addressed the issue and supported the dismissal.
The motion to fire Cartwright came at the end of the board's discussion of two audits criticizing district practices.
"There are some great people who work for this organization, but toxic behavior continues to happen," Daniel Foganholi, a DeSantis appointee, said in making the motion. "This is about accountability."
During a special meeting Tuesday, the board decided to keep Cartwright for 60 days, the same length of time as her termination-notice period, while staffers begin a nationwide search for a new superintendent.
Broward's school district has more than 270,000 students at 333 campuses and an annual budget of $4 billion.
Oshkosh Northwestern reporter Bremen Keasey contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Vickie Cartwright, ex-Oshkosh school superintendent, fired in Florida
