OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Parents across Marion County are watching closely as the Marion County School Board begins the process of selecting an interim superintendent, following the resignation of current Superintendent Dr. Diane Gullett. While no final decision was made on a start date, the board reached a general agreement on March 24 to appoint an interim leader to maintain stability through the upcoming transition.
A consensus is a general agreement, and the board’s consensus is to go with an interim, however, the board needs to discuss what it wants that process to look like, who would govern that process, who would set it up and how the selection would be made, said Jeremy Powers, Marion County Public Schools attorney. There’s not a fixed procedure in place.
This was not a vote, but this topic will be brought up at the next work session which will be scheduled for next week, possibly April 4.
Dr. Gullett resigned earlier this month, with her last day being scheduled for July 11, 2025. As parents consider the upcoming transition, the question of stability during the end of the school year – including testing, graduations, and preparations for fall – is front of mind.
Andrea Messina, CEO of the Florida School Boards Association, presented an overview of the superintendent search process. The interim superintendent’s role will focus on maintaining stability during the transition period.
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The single most important decision a school board can make is that when they have appointed a superintendent is who that superintendent is. That person will be the education leader in your district, said Messina. An interim superintendent’s job and goal is to keep things stable.
St. John’s and Munroe Counties are currently conducting searches, while Alachua County is currently under interim leadership. The process in Marion County will be transparent and open to public input.
A consultant or team will be hired to oversee the process, particularly to ensure fairness if internal candidates are being considered.
Timing is a critical factor. With spring events and school year-end milestones approaching, the board must weigh how quickly to appoint an interim. A full search could take six to eight months, assuming time isn’t a limiting factor.
Questions were also brought up about Vision 2026 and if the interim should consider continuing down the path of Dr. Gullett, trying to maintain the strategic plan.
As the board begins planning for this leadership change, it’s also mindful of the competitive superintendent job market. The salary range for an elected superintendent would be $210,954, based on state statute.
An early spring hire date would give the new superintendent an opportunity to participate in the budget for the next year as well as start the next school year. The new fiscal year starts July 1, 2025.