DUVAL COUNTY, Fla — Duval County Public School parents and the new superintendent appear to agree with what they want the focus to be now in the school district.
The school board approved Dr. Christopher Bernier’s contract Wednesday. It's a four-year contract with a salary of $320,000 starting July 1.
Bernier said the proposal to close dozens of schools amid the district’s $1.4 billion budget gap is one of the first issues he'll tackle. On Wednesday the school board also addressed several concerns parents have voiced since Bernier's selection.
“It is the heartbeat of our community,” said Emily McCarthy about Atlantic Beach Elementary School.
McCarthy is on a committee to save Atlantic Beach Elementary School, one of the dozens of schools named in a school consolidations proposal as the district looks to make up its budget shortfall.
“We think that it’s a little strange to be asking for an increase in salary during a budgetary crisis,” McCarthy said.
On Wednesday the school board approved Bernier’s contract. Bernier had asked for $350,000, the highest amount offered in the job listing, and the district countered with $280,000.
“I think it has needed to increase,” said DCPS Board Member Lori Hershey, District 7.
“We are selecting the leader of all of Duval County Public Schools and they lead over 10,000 employees, so we have to put it into context,” said DCPS Board Chairman Darryl Willie, District 4.
Only DCPS Board Member Warren Jones, District 5, voted against Bernier’s contract.
“Given the fact that we've laid off employees, we’ve cut staff," he said. "I do have concerns with the contract paying Dr. Bernier more than what we are paying currently for our superintendent.”
Bernier said his contract is fair and the school consolidations issue is at the top of his list.
“We have to focus on our financial condition," Bernier said. "We have to focus on our school situation and making sure that we make the best informed decision with the community's input regarding how we proceed forward. And we have to do something about our enrollment.”
He said in the end, it's all about the students.
“You will always see me make a decision about what's in the best interest of the child,” Bernier said.
McCarthy is also ready to move forward.
“Now we want to continue to focus on what really matters and that’s keeping as many neighborhood schools open as possible,” she said.
Bernier was asked by reporters about the two federal discrimination lawsuits against the Lee County School District he’s named in, something that led some parents to push for a pause in contract negotiations last week. Bernier was the superintendent in Lee County and said he can't talk about the lawsuit because it's active, but referred to what board members said. They said it's normal for a superintendent to be named in a lawsuit against a school district.