People inside and outside the Escambia County School District are working hard behind the scenes to ensure Keith Leonard is the next school superintendent before the special board meeting on Tuesday, May 30.
Why this matters: Few expect the “interim” title to last long as Team Leonard consolidates power by bribing or running off any challengers inside the district and making the district look unappealing to job seekers outside the county.
Tasks, projects and requests that have been held up in district bureaucracy are finally quietly happening – or, at least, promises are being made they will happen.
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- And Tim Smith is being blamed for everything.
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What’s happening: If you want something from the district, it’s best that you make your call before 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 30- when the school board will finalize Leonard’s coup. Leonard may not take your call, but Shawn Dennis or Denny Wilson might. Or just contact former School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.
Dig Deeper: In 2020, Keith Leonard would not have been the finalist for any school superintendent search list in Florida.
He was added to the Escambia list because some insisted that one person inside the district be added. Thomas tried to help Leonard’s chances by promoting him to assistant superintendent during the selection process.
At the time, Leonard was the district’s director of human resource services. He was moved to the district level in 2003 by then-Superintendent Jim Paul, first as chief negotiator and then the director of human resources in 2007. He was the Tate High head football (1997-2003) and replaced Athletic Director Bill Fryman for about three months before he took the district job.
Before he took over the football team, Leonard served as Tate’s baseball coach, where he started the Tate Aggie Classic, a prestigious high school baseball tournament.
He also was the quarterback when the Tate Aggies won the 1980 Class 4A state championship.
Dig Even Deeper: Tate High School has controlled the superintendent post for 18 of the last 27 years since 1996, when Tate High School principal Jim May was elected school superintendent, except for Tim Smith’s brief tenure and the eight years Escambia High teacher Jim Paul held the post.
Bill Slayton – who once was the band director at Tate – tried to unseat Paul in 2004.
School Board members Paul Fetsko cited the resignations of school principals and teaching vacancies as one of his reasons for terminating Smith’s contract. The person in charge of Human Resources has been Assistant Superintendent Keith Leonard.
Biggest Loser
School Board member David Williams is on the hot seat.
Why this matters: For one brief moment last Tuesday, Williams could have fought to name Deputy Superintendent Shenna Payne the interim superintendent – a logical choice since she is the #2 in the district. He didn’t.
Payne would have been the first female and Black to lead the Escambia County School District.
Payne is much better qualified to run the district.
Dig Deeper: Williams’ vote may be meaningless next week if certain backroom deals have been made. And once Bill Slayton is replaced by a more loyal Tate High alum in 2024, Williams will either join Team Leonard or sit on the sidelines.
Oops
Yesterday, I mistakenly reported the special board meeting was today. It will be Tuesday, May 30.
