Miami-Dade School Board rejects outside help for superintendent search

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Is the fix in for a preferred candidate?

The Miami-Dade County School Board has decided it doesn’t need outside help to find the next boss of the nation’s third-largest school district — even after critics complained the last search was rushed, messy and not exactly a model of transparency.

After a marathon, six-hour workshop Tuesday, the board rejected a proposal to spend about $50,000 on a professional search firm to help recruit and vet candidates to replace retiring Superintendent Jose Dotres, who was hired in 2022.

Instead, a majority said they’ll handle the search themselves.

Yes, themselves.

Because what could possibly go wrong?

Read related: Miami-Dade School Board brings back Jose Dotres as new superintendent

Board members Steve Gallon III and Luisa Santos pushed for hiring an outside consultant, arguing that bringing in professionals would boost public confidence — especially after the district’s 2022 superintendent search was criticized as hurried and limited.

Gallon, who has served as a superintendent in New Jersey, argued that outside firms specialize in vetting candidates and filtering out unqualified applicants before they ever reach the dais. Especially since the rumor out there is that the decision has already been made.

“If we’re serious about being transparent, if we’re serious about having the voices of the community, that requires a process,” Gallon said, adding that a professional search was not cost prohibitive. “I’m involved in searches that are south of $20,000.

“And you really have an opportunity to kind of have someone who is independent, who is objective, to really facilitate the process. At the end of the day the board votes,” Gallon said. “But I think some level of transparency for the community, some level of objectivity in the process, is kind of important.”

But the majority wasn’t buying it.

Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas joined Danny Espino, Monica Colucci and Mary Blanco in voting down the consultant plan — citing cost concerns at a time when some schools are dealing with frozen budgets.

Never mind that neighboring districts have managed to do it without breaking the bank. In 2023, Broward County Public Schools hired a Nebraska-based search firm for roughly $40,000. Lee County Public Schools did the same in 2021 for about $26,000.

But Miami-Dade? Apparently, it’s DIY season.

Read related: Miami-Dade School Board appointee Mary Blanco touts GOP endorsements

“I’m still hung up on the cost,”  Blanco said, adding that she remembers when a school principal couldn’t get toilet paper for students.

“I have complete confidence in the personnel in our district to do a transparent process,” Blanco added.

“I don’t think there is any need for a firm. We are the third largest district. and while that does require a very high level candidate to come in and do the job I think it also makes very easy to have applicants to come in,” she said. “If you are in this business you will know that the third largest school district is looking for a superintendent.”

Well, they better move fast, because the board is aiming to name a new superintendent this summer — when parents are traveling, teachers are off campus, and public attention is, well, elsewhere. Some members insisted speed is necessary.

Colucci, Blanco and Espino argued that choosing a superintendent before the new school year would reduce distractions and allow the incoming leader to help shape the district’s 2026–2031 strategic plan.

But Gallon warned that rushing the process could shut out meaningful community input — particularly if meetings are scheduled when families are hardest to reach.

Santos echoed that concern, noting that a summer timeline could shrink opportunities for public engagement at the very moment the district should be expanding them.

In the end, the board reached a compromise of sorts: a non-binding goal to hire someone over the summer — with Colucci and Blanco dissenting.

Keyword: Non-binding.

Board member Roberto Alonso skipped the workshop but reportedly supports the summer timeline, while Joseph Geller arrived late and backed the majority’s plan to keep the search in-house.

Las malas lenguas say the moves are meant to clear the path for a preferred candidate. Alonso admitted to The Miami Herald in January that he had a “shortlist” that included State Rep. Alex Rizo, Florida Education Secretary Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas and Jacob Oliva, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education. Board members didn’t like that.

Rizo is the rumored favorite, even though he is only seeking re-election to hid final term this August before reaching the state’s eight-year limit. He has raised more than $42,000, more than half of which has come from political action committees.

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Gallon said this week that would be cheating the process. And that’s why he thinks it’s important to have an outsider make recommendations if they want to restore the public trust. “I think we are working uphill in some regards because there is, let’s talk about it, there has been this commentary about some level of predisposition.”

For those wondering if this is a rush to push Dotres out early — not quite.

According to district finance chief Ron Steiger, Dotres’ contract runs through Feb. 14, 2027, and replacing him before then could trigger early termination costs that exceed $600,000.

So whoever gets the job this summer likely won’t take over until 2027 — meaning the district could be naming a successor more than a year before the position even opens. What the heck is the hurry? And will they have to pay both superintendents at the same time? What happened to Blanco’s money worries?

“That’s not only a fiscal misstep, that creates a condition for chaos,” Gallon said.

Colucci, who is up for re-election this year (more on that later) said that a delay, not a professional process, would cause more mistrust. “We are right now creating a lot of uncertainty,” Colucci said. “The more we prolong this process, the more uncertainty we are creating.” She wants to name someone by July. Espino had said August.

Gallon and Santos raised concerns about enough time for community input. Gallon pushed for October.

“There’s no perfect time for a superintendent to start,” Santos said. “I’m not eager to put down a July date.”

There was also plenty of talk about transparency — but not much agreement on how to achieve it. Ideas floated included creating a website for public feedback, holding special meetings and involving PTA leaders, students, unions and business groups

But as of Tuesday, nothing concrete had been finalized.

Rojas insisted the board wants maximum public participation. “The more people involved the more transparent it will be to the public,” she said.

We’ll see.

Read related: Miami-Dade School Board to revisit flawed, ‘connected’ BusPatrol program

Choosing the next superintendent is easily one of the most consequential decisions this board will make — especially at a time when enrollment is shrinking, budgets are tightening and scrutiny of school leadership is growing.

Dotres, who took over in 2022 after Alberto Carvalho left for Los Angeles, presided over a record-high graduation rate of 93.1% for the 2024–25 school year. But the district’s future leadership remains a high-stakes question — particularly as Carvalho’s tenure in Los Angeles has drawn federal scrutiny — agents raided his homes and offices in February searching for proof of “fraud and financial impropriety” accusations — a reminder that leadership decisions can echo far beyond district lines.

The board is expected to formalize its plan at Wednesday’s meeting of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools board. It starts at 11 a.m. and can be viewed live online at the Miami-Dade Public School website.

Expect more debate.

And likely more questions about whether saving $50,000 today could cost far more in public trust tomorrow.

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