Howard Hepburn would be paid $340,000 as Broward’s new superintendent and would get limited severance pay if he lasts less than a year, under tentative contract terms negotiated Friday.
He would also have to move to Broward by the end of 2025. The agreement, negotiated between Hepburn and Board Chairwoman Lori Alhadeff, still needs approval from the full board to take effect.
Hepburn’s salary would be less than the $350,000 pay previous superintendents Vickie Cartwright and Peter Licata received.
Those two superintendents also had provisions in their contracts to be paid 20 weeks’ severance pay if their contracts were terminated without cause, even during the first year.
Neither lasted a year. Cartwright was fired and then rehired and then mutually separated with the board just shy of her one-year anniversary. She received 20 weeks’ severance.
Licata announced April 16 he plans to retire Dec. 31 after nine months, but then the School Board decided to end his contract. No agreement on severance has been reached yet.
During the approval of Licata’s contract last July, Board member Torey Alston proposed giving Licata no severance if he lasted less than a year, but the School Board rejected it.
But Alhadeff made that exact proposal during Hepburn’s contract negotiations. She agreed to 20 weeks after a year. Hepburn’s lawyer, Carmen Cantaya, countered with 10 weeks within the first year.
The two sides agreed to a compromise of no severance if he were to last six months or less, and then 3.3 weeks per month for the next six months. That would put him at 20 weeks’ severance at the end of the first year.
Another sticking point in negotiations was whether Hepburn, who lives in West Palm Beach, would have to move to Broward. Cantaya argued he shouldn’t have to.
“He’s not an elected official, and there’s no requirement he lives in this county,” Cantaya said. “Second, the housing market is such that the cost he would have to incur is substantial.”
Alhadeff wouldn’t budge. She said the commute is too long.
“There’s going to be a lot of events and meetings, and Broward County is a huge district,” Alhadeff said. “It’s important that he has flexibility to go home if needs to.”
Alhadeff proposed giving him a year to move, but the two sides finally agreed he would have until Dec. 31, 2025, and he would get $15,000 for moving expenses.
The School Board appointed Hepburn as superintendent April 16, the day Licata announced he was retiring in December.
Licata was supposed to negotiate his separation with the district Friday, but his lawyer canceled Thursday due to a scheduling conflict, district spokesman John Sullivan said. The negotiations will be rescheduled in the near future, Sullivan said.
The full board is scheduled to vote on Hepburn’s contract at the regular board meeting May 21, unless Alhadeff schedules a special meeting sooner, Sullivan said.
