001testing testing one two three. welcome to today's special school board meeting. The special school board of broward school board of florida is now called to order. Please note the emergency exits, all attendees must be seated except for media. Once the room reaches capacity, attendees will be directed to the over flee area. If the fire alarms sound, go outside and return there until authorities deem it safe to return. All please rise to the "pledge of allegiance" of the united states of america. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under GOD indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And I just want to take a moment given the conflict going on in the middle east to ask everyone to keep our service
002members serving all across the globe in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you. A we begin we reaffirm our vision as an a-rated district we remain commit today this potential. Our theme this year, believe, achieve one broward. The board will review the items as advertised and presented by the superintendent. The superintendent released a revised agenda with certain changes with this meeting and published it on the school website. The chair finds pursuant to section, florida statute that good cause accepts for such changes and accepts the revised agenda. MAY I have a motion and a second to close the agenda? Moved and second. All in favor of closing the agenda say aye. All opposed say no. The agenda is now closed. MAY I have a motion and a second for item 1, the employment agreement for chief auditor.
003It's moved and second to move item 1 on the floor. Is there any public comment on this item? no comment. before we go to board discussion, I just want to introduce the item and provide the board an overview of negotiations in my approach to that. So we sat down with MR. Magli last week. We were able to kind of flush out the terms of the agreement first and for most like the vacation, sick, leave salary adjustments, consisting with 12-month administrative employees, insurance things like that. At the end, we got to the salary piece and before, the negotiations staff, did provide me with market analysis, I believe that is attached to the item and that, everyone has access to that and it looked at chief auditors throughout the state and their salaries and MR. Magli also
004brought his own market analysis, where he looked at not necessarily school district auditors but auditor for other government agencies as well as some of the salaries of the superintendent's cabinet, not the entire cabinet but some members of the cabinet. Given the experience that MR. Magli brought to the table, and given MR. Rode's salary when he was hired and when he left the district. I felt that a good first offer to be 175,000 given that MR. Rode was making 208.,050. MR. Magli countered with 235 and I countered offered with 190. And made it clear that he would not go closer than $225,000 in that negotiation. I did not feel comfortable increasing the salary for that passion for $25,000 it is like a 12 percent. So I said we would bring it to the board and hopefully
005we can come to an agreement today. And if we are unable to come to an agreement, I also placed an item on the agenda to task assign and hire an interim chief auditor in case we need to continue negotiations or open the application. So that's where I landed and I, I look forward to hearing from my colleagues. I have MS. Hixon on the list to speak. thank you, and I have a couple of questions, I guess for staff first before we, before I make a motion. Can you tell us what MR. Magli was making, what his salary was before he moved to chief auditor? MR. Magli is currently 152,000. and he worked for the district before how long before. he's been with us since OCTOBER 2025, most recently. I'll ask MR. Magli, 15 years in
006the auditor and what was your role there? can you use your mic please. sorry. I had a number of different responsibilities and through the path that I worked up as a auditor up the way out of role out of class and supervising inventory that warnlted a job study when I moved to the construction audits section for MR. Rylee several years ago, still doing the property inventory and towards the end, I was working with operational audit with MR. Rylee and those other capacity and eventually I went to that prior to leaving the district. and what was the leadership title that you had in those? manager of each section. thank you for that. I'm sorry, it was a director when I went to construction but they changed it to manager. okay. Perfect. Thank you. Very much. So
007I would like it make a motion, I like to move that we change the salary on page, let me go to the right page, sorry. Compensation, on page 4 of 16 where it says, salary 2.0711 from 225,000 for the first year to 185,000 with a caveat that within a year of the first anniversary coming back with the contract to look at increasing that. second. motion made by MS. Hixon seconded by me. Public comment on the motion? no comments. MR. Magli. yes, MADAM Chair, I would like to first of all, would I like to thank you and MS. Jacques-adams for the process. I know during that, I did not bring counsel with me at the time. I came in with market analysis, both my own and given that on during that period to review. So when
008we went into negotiation at the time and I know I clearly stated that we were stuck and done with $225 before the whole board, I want to say that what I was doing based on the request was to justify why the role warranted 225,000 external and internal and my experience somebody in that capacity would get. And mia nal sis was based on discussions, was I looked at the immediate proximity to our office and the people and what they were doing and what they were making. And I knew they were on the high side of those and those people deserve that. They have vas experience, some of which turned out to be a mentor of mine here, as you know. But I wanted to say that, during that process, and in answering that and not having
009been familiar with it at all, when you went out and came back, I did anticipate a counter. I want to say that here, perhaps you were going to bring me the counter. So I'm open to a discussion on that, for sure, that's what I anticipated. And the things that have gone over the last few weeks and being able to gauge what the board's intent on some of these things. And I know everybody has a tremendous pressures that are put on with the financial constraints for staffing and resources, I fully recognize that. I also know that during this period, that is coming as I would like to express to the rest of the board, these are the times when people are disqualified and frustrated not just all of us sitting up here but the staff, and
010it opens up vulnerabilities maybe their minds among other things out there. There is some justifications for why things are happening and the presence is even more important right now. I wanted to say that particularly about the part and I probably have spoken before, I just I didn't want to interrupt but I want today go ahead and say that before we proceed. thank you. Comment on the motion, MS. Hixon. thank you. And you know, I just kind of explain why I put out that number. So I did a little research also to see about auditor sxz stuff in different counties and what that looked like and it was interesting to me why palm beach was so high but when I looked into that deeper, their not just the chief auditor they're also inspect or general. The
011requirements, the job description, the duties that they do, are more extensive than that have a chief auditor so that's why, palm county pays so much higher, so I think it was really important for to us share that. As you know, this is not personal, it is really where we are in terms of financial places and I just in good conscience, cannot give a huge increase to a position where we cannot give our employees any kind of raise. And the people who touch our students, more directly, we can give them zero and I just, in good conscience cannot do that. My research showed a different number for miami-dade and I see different numbers. You have a number, our staff has a number, I found a different number. So I don't know exactly what the number in
012miami-dade. I wanted to put in there, 185 but to be able to bring the contract back and increasing that if we're in a different financial position. Because it's a very important position. But right now in this financial situation we find ourselves in and going to be cutting or oar chart and these numbers MAY change in the next month or so, I just don't feel comfortable at the $225 and I'm starting starting at the $185. Thank you. any other comments on the motion, DR. Holness. so sif a couple of questions. I know that it appears, MR. Rodes final salary was $200,085. that's correct. when MR. Rodes started this position what was his salary? in his current position he was started at 200,850. so is he maintained. correct. so how does this scope of experience of MR.
013Magli to MR. Rode's differ? How you would compare their overall experiences for the position? so they followed pretty parallel pathways in terms of titles throughout their career. I would say the difference is, MR. Rodes gained that chief experience here in broward county in his current tenure before he left yesterday where as MR. Magli has no prior chief experience at all. okay. But for MR. Rodes, before he had the xhaoef experience starting was 200,850? he did serve as interim counsel for us prior to serve ising as our chief auditor. and that was for how long? we'll pull that up for you right now. while you're looking at that, DR. Lozano, on the key observations, it says for broward count, 200,085. That below the medium. yes, sir. so currently, it would appear that miami-dade county aligns foreclosely
014to florida medium, is that correct? yes. it does, but the incumbent chief auditor has been there since 2021, so you're looking at five years in that position. but if you're looking at the medium average over this entire state, which is what is here. Then the florida education median would be 230,000. correct. this is if we look at the entire chief auditor which is a median which is the means of looking at average, 223,000, correct? correct. I did noticed that thu used the, the median as far as determine overall salary in florida is. Did you use any other measure of of average to determine what the salary would be? Because I know median is one way of doing it? Did you look at any other ways of determining the average? so we looked at government agencies
015within the state of florida, not just school districts and we also looked at large governmental entities across the united states and some positions are contracted positions that are negotiated so we took that into account while others are salary set. So looking across all the other entities but focusing on districts, we provided in the summary that was in the board item, the minimal mid-and max but to give comprehensive analysis of where the average lands, we settled on the median. so do you have the mean average? I don't but I can work on getting that. okay, so, I would also like are you able to get what the mean average in a short period of time or no? yes. the other question that I have, well, DR. Lozano do you have the answer to the question I
016had prior? just give me a few seconds. I'm curious to know how does that xlair to the florida mean? and then I'll be able to then make a decision. So MADAM Chair, while they're looking at that, I would like you to come back to me, if you don't mind. DR. Zeman? I want to acknowledge the difficulty of doing this in public. It's not what any of us would want to do sitting in your chair. I acknowledge that there MAY be some discomfort, chair I'm curious about your initial offer, maybe you have information that others don't. When you were thinking of offers, what was the evidence that had you that would suggest that the in coming chief auditor should be offered less than the outgoing. well I took a few things into account, one that I
017would probably receive a counter from the current chief auditor but also given the financial constraints that we're in and also the fact that MR. Magli did not have experience as a chief auditor, so it wasn't, you know, some several things that came in to play when which made the initial offers. and to my knowledge, the former chief auditor had five years experience and earned his way to 208,000? no, that's what MR. Lozano said about the miami-dade. MR. Rodes didn't have chief experience either. but he was hired and after three years, was earning 208,050. it was 208,050. oh no he never got a raise. MR. Magli, MAY I ask you a question. How many years of professional experience do you have? 25. from getting college being certified, I couldn't tell that from your resume. I see,
018it hits on my governmental experience, started here 15 years here and 10 years at the other place. So more than 25 years in this region and sector and schools and municipalities. and I'll be curious, the basis for your counter offer, can you give us a paragraph, I understand about the comps, we can look at these jobs and those jobs and we can come up with a number. I find this market analysis to be thin. Every other market analysis has years of experience and it puts uh not a trend line. And it says with 25 years experience without a cpa, this is what a chief auditor would be expected to earn. That is incredibly helpful because it gives you the basis for understanding and I hope in the future, when we do this or when superintendent
019does it with anybody that we do a better job of the actual analysis so that we know somebody with your experience in this job starting out without chief experience. But could you give us a paragraph on why you thought why you think the numbers you came up with, are more appropriate? sure. So, my institutional experiences has gone here in particular has gone through a wide range of things as I described where I started and a number of different areas. I've represented that office at many things prior to my departure and since back, not a whole lot has changed. The diversity is the real gain here. This very few areas of this district that I haven't been involved in whether to assist staff, collaborate with staff to improve awareness, whether it be individual audits that I've
020contributed to, the programs that are still in place that you can see when you visit schools relative to particular things like property. Even this experience, although this one is not my favorite as we talked about but the idea of interacting with board members and provide information that they need, working through apg when it first got created and now it's grown into another thing. So I've seen the evolution, and the press to get towards more efficiency, working in construction audits. Again the diversity of my experience is where the value is, and leaving here to do something that hardly any and you mentioned MS. Michael up in palm beach who doesn't touch the audit section. She is the ig that does the investigation and I demonstrated in a short time and I know how much time went
021into doing those things to be able to do audit with an investigative side to an extension of the audit and do these things that is useable to you and the public are the things that I bring that other people don't. And I cherish and I appreciate everybody for their ak dem -- academic background foreground, but 25 years of government experience and 15 plus year says something. All fairness to MR. Rodes who I appreciate all he's done and I said this before, not really here to negotiate for MR. Rodes and what happened then is different than what is happening right now, financial times both inside in the district and at home are different in a only a three-year period. And I only touch why I came in at the first number much like chair leonardi where
022she came low because negotiations. And so I started at a point that hay thought was high but reasonable, it was not out landish I did some work to get to that number. So I hope I've answered that question but that's how I got to a starting point. I appreciate that. I think there is two messages today. Which is you're a broad consensus choice of this board to become the chief auditor. there is a great deal of support, we did not only hear about it but you've done it since you've done back. That's the one story, the other story is we're getting rid of 1,000 or more this year. Two consecutive years of 9,000 students we're missing per year is causing us to think real hard about where we spend any money. I agree with MS.
023Hixon that we cannot send the signal to senior leaders, we're not sending to our staff. And I'm not sure where I am on her motion I'm anxious to hear more from my colleagues. But I hope you take that message, one you were broad consensus for this board, and we need to figure out something affordable for the year. I don't know what the best number maybe it's closer to debbie's or closer to MR. Rode's outgoing salary, we'll figure that out. But both of those things are true at the time. And I hope you take both of those messages when you leave. and I want to thank you DR. Zeman. And I do appreciate, how you guys stood up and selected me, and made a point. And I want to work for you just as much as
024you wanted me here and I want to come into an agreement. It means a lot to me. I don't think there is anybody that you're going to meet as much time as I would. You know, if that's what is going to take to stay in the line even to help you sometimes, you know, seeing things that maybe you don't see. But I'll do my best, put forward my best foot effort to make sure you get everything what you have. I did want to recognize that the board acted on my behalf. thank you, MS. Bulman. thank you, chair. So I think based where we're at with the district and unable to give raises to our teachers and staff that has to inform how we're moving forward with this. So, can I make a substitute motion? yeah.
025so you know, I think the absolute top number that I would be willing to support is what our chair left the table with what MR. Rodes was making. And I just don't really think that we can justify going over with that in the current climate that we're in. So I would like to make a substitute motion for the salary to be 200,850. second. motion made by MS. Bulman seconded by MS. Alhadeff. Public comment on the motion? Don't see any. Board member comment on the substitute motion? Doctor holness. thank you so my questions remain, and I have comments. DR. Lozano do you have answers. our team is working on the teams. MR. Rode served from APRIL 2024 to 2024, and placed in position at 208,850. so regarding the motion by board member bulman. Based on the
026observation, is 10 percent the florida medium. Even if we agree on this salary and I know MR. -- if you look at the market median, it's 225,000. So if we offer MR. Magli, a salary of 200,850, considering the I think is reasonable, because this would be ten percent below the florida median. And I want to say MR. Magli has been very responsive, he's been efficient, he's been timely, I've seen the work that he has done for some spft things that we needed and I admire his competence. So to provide him a wage that is ten percent below is a gesture the concerns. So I am going to support board member bulman's motion. I think it's reasonable. We're not under paying I'm going to be supportive. Did you have is the answer or no, not yet?
027Thank you, MADAM Chair. thank you, MS. Alhadeff. thank you. I support the motion. I do have a question based on MR. Magli's paper with it, saying that chief auditor roads was paid 213,000 last year in 2025, is that true? sorry, chair leonardi, can you repeat that please? was that the referendum money? Which they're not getting now. Okay. I just want to understand that number. So yes, I support this. I think you have to be competitive, even though it's below the average and I think I'm comfortable with the 200,850 that we're going to be offering MR. Magli. Thank you. thank you, MS. Thompson. thank you, chair. I would agree with my colleagues, that amount was kind of my high point and I was willing to walk away, so I would like you to absorb that and
028the rest of us would walk away for higher than that. Thank you. MS. Hixon. thank you, I have a question for staff. what was the chief auditor's making before MR. Rodes became the chief auditor? What was that salary? just give me two minutes. MS. Hixon would you like me to go to MS. Rupert. thank you. A great leader not only leads but mentors. MR. Rodes was an exemplary employee. He mentored MR. Magli purposefully so we would have somebody here ready to go for r the time for m to movon. Sonoonly respect MR. Magli with my own abilities and knowledge of who he is and what he brings to the table but also, I respect the heck out of MR. Rodes for also lending that hand and being able to work together so this would be
029very streamlined this process. I will be supporting the I'll call it the bulman substitute motion. Thank you. thank you, does the team has hixon's. The but I have MR. Holness's answer. thank you. any other while we wait on MS. Hixon's answer. my concern and the question has nothing to do with your ability, I made the motion to hire you. To to DR. Zeman's point, we believe with the ability, I just struggle with where we are financially. Is know you've been here for a long time as has lots of teachers, this is my 37th and as a teacher I would never have been made a jump. And I know administration is different than teaching but in the world that we live in right now, that does not make sense to people. And I can't go to
030the 200 either. It's too high. Having you here, the experience that you had here was amazing but it wasn't even, it was not higher administrative, it was district, director manager but not executive level and that concerns me which is why I would be will be in a year to look at increasing that number again but, I we've jumped into a lot of things, got burnt on them because we didn't think them through and my preference would be to leave it at 185 and in a year come back and see where we are and what we can do increasing it in a year. So si appreciate everyone's thoughts, I'm just not willing to change mine. I do want to know did MR. Rodes start at what the previous auditor started at or was there a change?
031What did we look at when we did that, honestly, I don't remember. Okay. So according to some data I have in 2025, the last auditor that left made 175, na was what the chief auditor was making in 2023. So again, just look at times, not people particularly, because it's not about, his ability, at all, I'm going to stay with my 185. Thank you. thank you. MR. Cervera? thank you, MAY I follow-up with MS. Hixon and inquire, debbie? Hi. Can I follow-up for you, if you would indulge me. In your 185, you said you would like to come back and reconsider in a year. Is is the basis of that reconsideration based on certain professional mild stones or solely on a financial, a review of the financial situation that the district is facing? And if we
032happen to be better financial standing, we can come back and potentially offer more money? What would you suggesting when with you said we'll come back in a year. it's up to us as a board. I'm just throwing out ideas, but would I say probably both. We could decide on whatever those mild stones MAY be and where we are financially if it makes sense to be able to move that forward. so under your concept presumably, if MR. Magli had a stellar yearly review and by some miracle, the district increased its or improved its financial standing, MR. Magli would be entitled to, I don't know what we call it t an annual review or something in which determination by this board by why he would be get an increase. correct. in that case, would you be willing
033to get to 200 in a year from now? potentially, but it would depend where we're at but yeah, potentially. okay, thank you for the explanation. DR. Zeman. just a couple of points, to MR. Cervera's point. One of the things that we look at is how he manage s fiscally his staff. We're asking everyone to trim their costs, not to do what they did last year, if we paid everything out this year, again next year, I guess let me ask the C.F.O., if we did that, what deficit would we be starting our year with in our annual budget? If we paid everything now, next year, how much money would we be in the hole going into next year? 26-27 year? if we don't cut any costs, how much are we going to be going into the
034hole. over 120 million. so we're not asking people to kind of hey, if you're the head of function x, can you just keep, can you limit your expense to see last year's expenses, we're saying to some people, we need you to cut costs 10 percent. DR. Hepburn is looking for 1,000 position to see undo and not fill on top of the 3 or 400 teacher positions we're not going to have. The 185 that MS. Hixon is a 22 percent raise from where he is now. It's a one-year plan to see where to go from there. Again, I'm not hard over on either of one of those numbers but I can tell you that the 185 is consistent with what we're asking function to do. What is the reduction, 7 and a half reduction if we
035did that. So a 22 percent raise, 7 and a half less than what the outgoing chief auditor. And to MS. Hixon's point, I appreciate you thinking about the message that goes out. This is 1 position of 25,000, but every one position ads up overtime and it gets to 25,000. So thank you, chair. thank you. And before I go to DR. Holness, I did just want to flag and I appreciate MS. Hixon asking about what the previous auditor made in 2023 so three years ago, that's 175 to go from the 175 to the 185 which what hixon is about a 5.7 percent raise for that position. Again, kind of unheard of for our other employees. But when we, agreed to the 200,000 for MR. Rodes back that was a 14 percent increase for that position. So
036I think that's important to note. DR. Holness? thank you, MADAM Chair. So, you know, I appreciate board member hixon's comment sxz her motion. And I fully understand, that we are in a financial, we have financial constraints. But at the same time we're talking about teachers and staff and so on, so my thought on all of that is this, I don't believe broward county is paying teachers 19 percent below market rate for teachers in florida. DR. Hepburn are we paying below market rate to teachers. no, compared to state of florida average. are we paying any staff, any position in broward, that are lateral position approximates, 19 percent below market rate in florida. no, our rates are competitive. so if we pay MR. Magli 185,000, it would be 19 percent as far as median average and as
037far as the median. So there is no position DR. Hepburn that you can think of that our lateral that we're paying 18 percent. none that I can think of. and we're not paying 18 percent below market rate for our teachers as compared to the state of florida, average? that's a correct statement. so I don't think we're comparing apples to apples, this is a position that has a certain value, right? A certain pay rate on average. And if we MAY MR. Magli 185,000, we're going to be paying him 19 percent below the market rate as far as the mean average and 18 percent below as far as the median average. This would be an anomaly, because there is not employees within this district getting 18 or 19 percent, below market rate. So why should we do
038that for this position? So you know, I understand and this is not a matter of discussing or not understanding our financial concerns, this is more of a matter of acting in a manner that is comfortable to the state that is equitable to all employees. And I think if we pay MR. Magli 18 percent, that is not comparable to all employees. You know, that's the reason I'm looking at board member bulman's motion which is 10 percent below market rate even at the 2000 but it's comfortable to MR. Rodes. And MR. Lozano it appears you have something to say. so the median rules, represent seasoned professionals, not entry professions coming into the position. So they're more seasoned into the position. I understand. But we're looking at the state average, and I understand what you just said, but
039we're looking at the state average for that position. And when we look at the state average, we have not broken down to what are these, it's just the mean average for the stayed. So among the mean average, you can have entry level people, people there five years or ten years but when we look at the mean average, he is 18 percent below, 19 percent. So you know, I am comfortable landing at 10 percent which is 200,000. And as far as my take looking at teachers and other non instructional staff, they're not comparing apples to apples when you look at two different positions. When you look at the same positions, you look at apples to apples. If we were paying teachers 18 percent that would be a problem, this room would be filled with people. I
040think when we look at what he, this position and what MR. Magli should be making as far as a fair salary, we have to look at the average and we look at median and 200,000 would land him 10 percent below. That's a fair place to land. Thank you. Thank you, any other board discussion? MR. Magli? is appreciate all the concerns and and I would like to like to hear what everything is saying. Sometimes we're using these numbers to our benefit and other times, we don't consider them. What I do consider all of these things that we're saying is the massive restrictions but I also know how much this job entails. Under the circumstances, and what has been discussed and I've listened to everything that has been discussed, if you're prepared to and it's not where
041I thought I wanted to be. But if you're prepared to offer me MR. Rode's outgoing salary, we can end this right now. If this is people are going to go back and forth and I'm the one that is going to concede. And I appreciate the words MR. Holness. We keep saying I don't have experience when, miami-dade, got 215, I'm not here to continue to bat this around, when all have a great deal of respect. It was never my motelation, I -- motivation, I wanted to be fair. That's not where we are. We're on, where we are here at broward, okay a very impacted group under a lot of scrutiny and I want to do right by that. So the other part of that, MS. Hixon to address that sequencing and advancement, is to MR. Rodes
042never got a raise. And we really, you didn't say it like that, we are hoping to get somewhere and I'm trying to be somebody that makes things better. I fully understand that. That part of it, I don't think is fair. I think that based on the circumstances, although, it's not the ultimate accomplishment for me, but it means a lot to me as a great opportunity. I would not have put in for it, nothing what we do here if I didn't think it was important just the money part. But I put that out right now. We can either part as colleagues or whatever the decision. If you have further discussion, I understand that too, but I wanted to put that in there for everybody. any other board member discussion on the motion to make the salary
043200,850? All in favor of the motion say aye. all opposed say no. no. alhadeff. yes. bulman. yes. cer reva. no. leonardi. no. holness. yes. rupert. yes. thompson. yes. zeman. no. motion passes 5-4. all right. So we are back to the item, I had MS. Thompson on the list to speak. no, I said my peace. anyone else on the item? welcome to the team. MR. Cervera? yeah, I echo DR. Zeman's comment as well, welcome aboard. And, for what it's worth, I think you have to appreciate the storm that you are effectively walking into. There is a very very high level of expectation that is going to be placed on your shoulders and I'm very confident that you are going to meet the call. And assist this board with a litany of things that we are going
044to need in the very near future and I'm very very confident that you are going to do what needs to be done to get this board back on track. Welcome, we're happy to have you, and I'm glad that we can now end the salary portion of this, thank you for that. yeah. And I thought I heard approval in the or an agreement in the comments that you gave me in MR. Magli. I want to get verbal agreement that you agree. yes, ma'am. any other comment on the item? All in favor of item 1 say aye. aye. all opposed say no. Item pass approximates unanimously. Congratulations. can I have a motion to open the agenda. so moved. second. all in favor to open the agenda say aye. aye. I would like to do I have to
045make a motion to withdrawal? I make a motion to withdrawal item 2. so moved. -- second. seconded by DR. Holness. All in favor of motion? Say aye. aye. any opposed, says no. Do I now get a motion and a second to close the agenda. Public comment on closing the agenda? All in favor of closing the agenda say aye. aye. all right, all opposed say no. Closing the agenda p pses unanimously. Now that we have exhausteted all e e items, I, the scheduled order of business, for the special school board meeting of school board has been completed, seeing no objections, I will now adjourn the special school board