- January 21, 2025
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Volusia County Schools Superintendent Scott Fritz' future with the district will be up for discussion in a workshop on March 22, where School Board members will decide whether they wish to renew his contract, to be followed by an official vote later that evening at a meeting.
This decision was made after a two-hour discussion at the board's meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22, during which 12 members of the public made impassioned pleas both for and against extending the superintendent's contract, as well as raised questions about the agenda item, stating the district had not properly noticed it. The extension of Fritz's contract was listed as a discussion item, but School Board attorney Ted Doran informed them at the beginning of the conversation that a motion could be made and voted on, leading to School Board member Linda Cuthbert making a motion to renew Fritz's contract for three more years.
Fritz was hired in December 2019, and his contract will expire in December 2022, if not extended.
Volusia United Educators President Elizabeth Albert expressed her frustration with what she described as another example of how the district is moving forward with last minute agenda changes and items being misrepresented to the public.
"The public looks at what's put out and we're pulling the rug out from underneath them," Albert said. "So it just is again, a lack of transparency. It continues to break trust and I just can't imagine how you might think your employees and the other members of the public who are watching interpret these actions."
School Board Chair Ruben Colon said that his wish for the agenda item was just for the board to discuss the extension of Fritz's contract, not to take action that evening.
"I'll take ownership of not having realized what this conversation would become, and so we did not advertise it to the public as an agenda item that we were going to be yes or no-ing," he said. "If that was the case, it would have been under board action items, which typically come with public comment."
A time for public comment had to be inserted by the board, and speakers came prepared to speak on whether the board should retain Fritz, or terminate his contract.
Some parents, several wearing Moms for Liberty apparel, said Fritz has ignored concerns brought forward by parents and gone around the School Board members in situations like the LGBTQ Health Awareness Week — where a board resolution to establish this in April 2021 died and was later brought back in a subsequent meeting as a district recognition — and the student mask policy established at the end of August 2021 when COVID-19 cases increased in schools. One speaker said Fritz verbally insulted parents when he said not vaccinating or masking your children was "bad parenting."
Parent Rebecca Sarwi said Fritz's support of a mask mandate was the last straw.
"I could no longer trust the school system or entrust my children to be in their care while in school, having disregard for the law and disregard for parents' rights," Sarwi said.
Others spoke in favor of Fritz and said he has worked hard to improve the district, citing improved graduation rates, an increasing number of students graduating with certifications, and the implementation of his strategic plan. One asked why the board was considering not extending his contract when Fritz was named one of 19 2021 Superintendents to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association.
Food Brings Hope Founder Forough Hosseini said that Fritz was a "visionary" and that the board should give him the chance to move the district forward.
"Keep changing superintendents," Hosseini said. "Who do you think is going to apply for a job that the superintendent keeps getting fired every two years? He is the man who's going to take us to the next level."
Prior to Fritz, the late Tom Russell served in the position from 2015 to 2019 until the board voted to fire him over communication concerns with the board. Margaret Smith was the superintendent before Russell. She resigned in 2015, two years before she planned to retire after she clashed with a previous School Board member.
Cuthbert has been on board under the leadership of all three. She urged the board extend Fritz's contract to allow him a chance to carry out his strategic plan. Though Fritz was hired in 2019, he has yet to serve an entire year as superintendent due to COVID-19 and a bout with cancer.
"One thing we need now more than anything is stability, and quite a few people said that," Cuthbert said. "To have another changeover or to not give this man who's worked so hard the reassurance that he has a job next December 3 is ludicrous."
Some board members wanted to evaluate Fritz's contract after his evaluation in July, but that brought the fear that the district would not have enough time to find another superintendent if the board decided against renewing his contract.
School Board member Jamie Haynes said she wasn't comfortable in voting that evening, but said the district can't discredit their employees' thoughts of the working conditions.
"If you want to know where I stand tonight, I have to look at where are we going?" Haynes said. "Where have we been? What is working and what is now, and I'm not prepared to extend his contract."
