- November 19, 2024
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The Flagler County School Board selected current Assistant Superintendent Jacob Oliva as the district's new superintendent in its regular Tuesday evening meeting.
The board selected Oliva in a 4-1 vote. Flagler County School Board Vice Chairwoman Colleen Conklin selected candidate Osceola County School District Assistant Superintendent Pamela Tapley as her first choice, and Flagler County School Board Chairman Andy Dance and board members John Fischer, Sue Dickinson and Trevor Tucker selected Oliva.
Oliva and Tapley were the two finalists of 20 candidates who applied for the position.
After Conklin said the vote to appoint Oliva should be unanimous, the board voted, unanimously, to appoint Oliva and enter contract negotiations.
“There were some bumps and bruises along the way. It wasn’t always the prettiest process," Dance said. "But I think the final culmination of this is that the community has an opportunity to review Oliva’s vision, and see what Ms. Tapley has to bring to the table. There really are some visionary components to the future as Mr. Oliva sees it."
Oliva thanked the board and the community committee that narrowed down the list of superintendent candidates and selected five for a short list. He credited the district's successes to staff, and said he is willing to continue learning as he enters his new position.
"I know that this position comes with a great deal of responsibility," he said. "I’ve been filing in these shoes for the past few months, and I know there’s still more to learn," he said.
Tapley sat in the audience during the vote. After the votes were tallied, she congratulated Oliva and said she had enjoyed the application process.
Fischer said that contrary to some complaints from community members, the outcome of the selection process was not decided before it began.
“As far as comments that it was a done deal, we did our due diligence also, and it was not a done deal,” Fischer said. “I know I did, and I know the other board members did also.”
Some board members, including Dance, had openly favored Oliva as a successor to Valentine before the board decided to hold a national search.
Dr. Myra Middleton-Valentine, a retired ESE director for the district and a member of the 15-member community committee that reviewed applications, said the process wasn't easy, especially on such a tight schedule: The application period for the position opened Dec. 18 and closed Jan. 17, and the board committed to selecting a candidate by Feb. 4.
"It was really tough because the timeline was so short," Middleton-Valentine said. "We didn't always agree, but it was a very positive committee that was very open in their discussion. We just really appreciate the board for giving us the opportunity to have community input."
Explaining her dissenting vote, Conklin said she sees "great things for Flagler County" with Oliva as the district's leader. But while she thanked district staff and the search committee, she said she wasn't happy with the process.
"I’m not going to lie and say I was not disappointed in this process, and I'm grateful that it's over," she said.
Conklin urged the board to consider re-joining the Florida School Board Association, which handles superintendent searches for member districts.
After the vote, Dickinson suggested the board consider compensating Oliva with a stipend for taking over the responsibilities of Superintendent Janet Valentine after she had a stroke in November. Oliva said he wouldn't accept the money.
"I consider that part of the job, and I will not accept any stipend," he said. "If the board feels compelled to offer a stipend, I would ask that you just donate it to the mentoring program."
