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Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace
The Osceola County School Board voted 4-1 Tuesday to extend Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace's contract an additional two years through 2025.
The agenda item brought out local elected, business and community leaders out to speak in favor of Pace, an Osceola County native, and the work she's done since taking over the role in March 2016.
Former School Board member (2012-20) and chair Tim Weisheyer even came out on his wife Pam's birthday to advocate for his former cohort.
"She told me I could not miss this opportunity to show support for who I feel is the best superintendent in the state," said Weisheyer, who qualified that statement since he served a term as president of the Florida School Boards Association. "This community is truly blessed, and the staff is blessed to have her as a leader."
Board member Robert Bass, in his first term on the board, created the agenda item.
"I've never met a harder-working individual in my life," he said during Tuesday's meeting. "(Pace) has brought much-needed stability to the district."
Fellow board member Terry Castillo lauded Pace's work in overseeing and organization with nearly 8,000 employees and a $1.7 billion budget.
"We're the largest employer in the county, and she has the business acumen to lead it," Castillo said. "What sets her apart is her ability to gracefully deal with those who disagree."
Board member Jon Arguello cast the dissenting vote, citing internal conflicts of interest, upheaval in the district and a teacher force that "aren't exactly the happiest."
"We're bringing up an issue I feel is premature, part of an agenda that's with the establishment I've been fighting against since the day I was elected," he said Tuesday. "As we come out of COVID, this isn't a victory, yet we're awarding medals of valor.
His vote was foreshadowed by comments in job evaluations each board member filled out last month. While the four other board members gave Pace ratings of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale and largely glowing reviews on items like academic success, talent acquisition and fiscal responsibility, Arguello offered ratings of 1-3 with comments like, "SDOC is falling short of its mission because personal relationships have hampered progress."
Pace said she's,"Honored and humbled," by the support of a majority of the School Board and community.
"I look forward to working with the School Board and our dedicated educators to support our community's effort to recover from the pandemic," she said.
Prior to becoming superintendent, Pace was the principal at Poinciana and Harmony High Schools, and Deputy Superintendent for Secondary in the Osceola School District from 2003-11, then was Associate Superintendent for Human Resources Services for Brevard Public Schools until returning to the Osceola district.
