mauraforbroward.com<\/a><\/p>\nDate and place of birth: February 11, 1978, Southfield, Michigan<\/p>\n
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 the highest), rate the job performance of Superintendent Howard Hepburn, emphasizing his strengths and weaknesses.
I would rate Superintendent Howard Hepburn\u2019s performance as a 4 out of 5 since he assumed the position of Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in April 2024. His leadership has produced measurable improvements in student achievement and school performance throughout the District. After more than a decade of the District earning B ratings, the District achieved A ratings in 2024, 2025, and 2026 through Dr. Hepburn\u2019s leadership. Over the past two years, the District has also had no D or F rated schools and has significantly increased the number of A and B schools.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hepburn brings deep knowledge and experience to the academic side of Broward County Public Schools, and the results demonstrate this well-honed skill set.\u00a0 A notable example is the Office of School Transformation, which is dedicated to concentrating resources and support to educators and students in historically underperforming schools. Through innovative initiatives such as this, Dr. Hepburn has succeeded in achieving remarkable gains in the schools that need it most.<\/p>\n
At a time when public school funding is eroding, enrollment is declining, and laws and policies place additional burdens on public schools at both the state and federal levels, Dr. Hepburn is facing challenges that are unprecedented with no easy answers or an obvious road map. The complexity of the District\u2019s ever-evolving financial situation, the ongoing challenges of the District\u2019s beleaguered capital program, and\u00a0 the task of leading the effort to right size the District by modernizing and removing layers of the organization\u2019s structure are all issues that require swift and decisive action.\u00a0 While, ideally, Dr. Hepburn would have taken a more aggressive approach to stabilize the budget and operations earlier in his tenure, he has been evolving under the urgency and magnitude of the challenges faced by the District.\u00a0 Particularly in the past six months, he has delivered on directives he has received from the Board and has made difficult decisions that previous administrations deferred or avoided.<\/p>\n
Overall, and despite the pressures of leading in tumultuous times, Dr. Hepburn\u2019s calm and steady manner has enabled him to bring stability, professionalism, and credibility to the District. As he continues to build confidence and competence, he has strengthened the District\u2019s public presence and its relationships with families, employees, and community stakeholders throughout Broward County and beyond. While room for improvement remains, I am optimistic that we can continue to see progress and build on the lessons learned since Dr. Hepburn became Superintendent.<\/p>\n
The Broward school district received an \u201cA\u201d grade for the third straight year for student academic performance. Who deserves the most credit for this?
First and foremost, our A grade belongs to our teachers and those who directly support them. They imbue our students with knowledge and skills, are generous with their encouragement and patience, devote long hours to creating lesson plans tailored to each student\u2019s needs and grading assignments, provide extra time to help students overcome learning obstacles, and pour their hearts and souls into preparing our children for the next steps in their lives. We must recognize our school leaders for establishing a positive learning environment and school culture, keeping our school operations running smoothly, motivating and supporting our teachers and staff, and finding creative ways to equip them with the tools they need. They have done all this while ensuring our schools offer the classes and extracurricular activities that keep students engaged and excited to learn.\u00a0 Our frontline workers are also an invaluable part of earning that A grade, from the\u00a0bus drivers\u00a0who ensure students arrive to school and return home safely, to the\u00a0custodians\u00a0who keep our campuses clean and secure, to the\u00a0cafeteria staff\u00a0who make sure students are fed and ready to learn. Finally, our families and students themselves deserve credit, because without the dedication and support of our families and the tremendous work of our students, we would not have earned an A for the third consecutive year.<\/p>\n
Voters will decide whether to extend a school property tax increase. If it passes, the School Board will allocate 90 percent of the money for raises for teachers and school-based staff. Do you agree or disagree with this decision and why?
I agree that the funds collected through the proposed 2026 school property tax referendum should allocate 90 percent of the funds to supplemental pay for teachers and school-based staff. Florida ranks 50th in the nation for teacher pay, and the rising cost of living in Broward County has made it increasingly difficult for educators to remain in the profession here, which has directly impacted our ability to retain the high-quality teachers that educate our children and prepare them for the future.<\/p>\n
Although the Broward County School District has taken significant steps to reduce costs over the past year, much of the focus has been on addressing issues that should have been confronted years ago.During the 2025\/26 fiscal year, the District experienced a substantial decrease in enrollment while also facing a marked increase in the cost to run the District\u2019s self-funded health care plans, leading to a budget shortfall. As a result, there were no funds available to provide meaningful raises to teachers and other employees in the 2025\/26 school year. Even without these raises, our District was able to achieve an A for the third year in a row \u2013 making it even more imperative that the total compensation our teachers is commiserate with their hard work and a compelling incentive to remain a Broward County teacher.<\/p>\n
Increasing the referendum allocation to 90 percent will allow teachers to receive larger supplements moving forward.\u00a0 While the District and School Board continues to work to right-size the district, stabilize the budget, and provide the raises our educators truly deserve, an increase in the referendum allocation will provide an immediate boost to the professionals who serve our students every day. Our Broward County Public Schools will be stronger as a result.<\/p>\n
Will you vote for or against the tax extension and why?\u00a0
Yes. I voted for the increased school property tax in 2018 and 2022 and will certainly do so again.\u00a0 Public education has long been the\u00a0great equalizer\u00a0in the United States, by providing every child access to a quality education regardless of background, income, or zip code. High quality public education and has immense long-term benefits for everyone in Broward County, even those who do not have children in our public schools. We all benefit from living in neighborhoods with higher property values due to desirable public schools, a well-trained workforce that is equipped for the future, and a robust local economy stocked with talent. I believe that this tax will continue to have a long-term positive return on our collective investment in the next generation of Broward County, and increase our economic competitiveness and desirability as a market.<\/p>\n
My husband and I chose to send our four sons to Broward County Public Schools because of the amazing educators that work in our schools. Electing to continue providing supplements to our educators and employees through the renewed referendum is crucial to ensuring our educators and employees can afford to live and work in Broward County, which is necessary to attract and retain the high-quality educators who are teaching and shaping our next generation.<\/p>\n
A series of fiscal missteps in the past year has placed the school board and the administration on the defensive. How well has the district responded to these controversies?
While the District has faced a multitude of issues over the past year, many stemming from declining enrollment and the failure to address this trend years earlier, two issues in particular stand out as \u201cfiscal missteps\u201d: (a) the commercial office lease entered into between the School Board and H.A.N.D.Y., Inc. in June 2025 and (b) the discovery by the Board that administrators earning the highest salaries had been receiving a portion of the referendum funds since August 2024. Both issues arose due to Board decisions that were based on incomplete or inaccurate information presented to the Board.<\/p>\n
The Board approved the lease with H.A.N.D.Y. in June 2025, pursuant to representations that the space could accommodate all of the employees who needed to vacate a recently sold District building, that there was not adequate space available to house these employees elsewhere in the District and that the lease contained a termination clause the Board could employ without cause upon giving a certain period of notice.\u00a0 In October 2025, following a larger than projected decline in student enrollment and legislation that expanded opportunities for Schools of Hope to co-locate in Broward public schools, the Board learned that the District had taken no meaningful steps to move the employees to the new building despite making monthly rental payments.\u00a0 The Board also learned that the subject premises were inadequate to accommodate the number of employees in question and that no termination without cause clause existed in the lease.\u00a0 The Board voted to terminate the lease pursuant to an item I brought on November 4, 2025, relying on a clause that permitted termination in the event that funds were not allocated for the lease in the budget. \u00a0 The termination resulted in H.A.N.D.Y. initiating a lawsuit against the District seeking to recoup the remaining rent due for the duration of the five-year lease term and asserting other causes of action.\u00a0 The Board reached a settlement agreement with H.A.N.D.Y., which terminated the Board\u2019s obligations under the lease after the initial twelve month period and saved the District the considerable expense of preparing the premises for occupancy and the moving a significant number of employees into and out of the subject premises.\u00a0 The Board directed Dr. Hepburn to provide an after-action plan to avoid future debacles. \u00a0 \u00a0 Subsequently, the District has focused on carrying out the Board\u2019s directive to move employees from District office buildings, including the KC Wright Building, to school campuses to fill space in schools and maximize rental income potential.\u00a0 The District changed the format of the Executive Summary that accompanies each agenda item to be voted on by the Board and improved their review process before publishing the same so the Board can have more confidence in the accuracy of the information being provided.\u00a0 No lease agreements for office space have come to the Board in over a year and changes in personnel have been made at the top levels.\u00a0 I believe the fallout from this experience required the District to shift its focus to maximizing its internal utilization of District -owned real estate and to take action to create revenue streams through District-owned real estate assets, thereby moving the District in a more fiscally responsible direction. Moving forward, this attention to financial detail, as well as increased operational accountability, will help us to prevent future controversies of this type.<\/p>\n
One such controversy involved using past referendum money to pay large bonuses to highly-paid administrators. Should those who received bonuses have been required to refund the money? Why or why not?
I was not yet serving on the Board when the payment of referendum funds was expanded to include even the highest paid employees, but the documentation provided to the Board in July 2024 appears to be misleading at best and does not accurately track the changes from a nearly identical item brought before the Board in 2023.\u00a0 Additionally, multiple Board Members serving at that time have subsequently expressed confusion about the scope of the action taken by the Board and their lack of intent to approve the use referendum funds to pay employees in the highest pay bands. \u00a0 Upon learning that the referendum funds intended for teachers were going to high level administrators, the Board, under the decisive leadership of Chair Leonardi, immediately voted to terminate further payment of the referendum funds to those who began receiving them in August 2024, requested an internal audit and referred the matter for review by the Broward County Office of the Inspector General. \u00a0 Due to the controversy surrounding this matter, the Board sought an opinion from outside counsel. Counsel advised the Board that taking action to recoup the payments would raise significant legal concerns and could expose the District to potential liability. In light of the risks outlined in the opinion of outside counsel and given that the Board had approved the item expanding the payment of the referendum rather than the employees receiving the payments accidentally or due to fraud, there was no legal basis to require certain employees to return the funds they received. The Board took great pains earlier this year to make certain that the loopholes in the 2022 ballot initiative language were closed and that the employees entitled to receive referendum funds are limited to those clearly delineated in the ballot language in order to avoid any similar issues in the future.<\/p>\n
To reduce a financial deficit, the board approved a reorganization plan that critics say is unfair because it eliminates front-line positions while leaving bureaucratic jobs largely untouched.\u00a0 Do you agree or disagree with this criticism and why?
Although the District has experienced a steady decline in enrollment for nearly twenty years, no meaningful effort had been made to adjust our organizational structure to reflect our current size until April of this year. At that time, the Board directed Dr. Hepburn to implement significant reductions to the District-level organizational chart while preserving school-based positions, with the exception of routine adjustments tied to individual school enrollment.<\/p>\n
In response, Dr. Hepburn presented an organizational chart that substantially reduced District-level positions, with a higher percentage of management roles eliminated compared to front-line positions. The Board and the public were able to review and provide feedback through multiple workshops and School Board meetings. Ultimately, the Board approved an amended organizational chart that eliminated nearly 1,000 positions in total, including approximately 300 actively filled positions.<\/p>\n
This was a difficult and emotional process with dedicated employees losing their jobs despite years of commendable work. The gravity of these decisions weighs heavily on the shoulders of the Board. However, we could no longer continue postponing necessary action or hoping that a miraculous change in circumstances would resolve our financial challenges. Our duty to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars requires us to make noticeable structural reductions, and this organizational realignment is one of several steps needed to restore and maintain the fiscal health of the District while ensuring that as many resources as possible directly support our students and schools.<\/p>\n
Time will tell how effective these changes will be in achieving that goal. The Board will hold Dr. Hepburn accountable for the implementation of this plan through clear metrics and actionable objectives and will work with him to address challenges as they arise as we continue strengthening the foundation of our school district.<\/p>\n
The school board has voted to close six underenrolled schools to save money. Do you think the district should close more schools or not, and why?\u00a0
When I was running for election to the Broward County School Board in 2024, one of the primary commitments of my campaign was to work to keep our District 1 schools open and to address the enrollment crisis facing our schools. I am proud to say that none of the schools that were proposed for closure in District 1 under the original plans are set to be closed under the current reorganization. Innovative solutions like turning Hollywood Central Elementary into a K-8 school and creating partnerships with our municipalities and local non-profits have been major steps in improving the situation within my community. I look forward to continuing to work to bring creative initiatives and solutions to District 1.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, because the decline in enrollment continued at a high rate in the 2025\/26 school year and is projected to continue to decline in the 2026\/27 school year, the difficult discussions surrounding consolidating and closing community schools will continue this coming school year. We must continue to engage our community as we move forward with the redefining process to ensure that our stakeholders\u2019 voices are heard and their perspectives considered as we move forward with making these difficult and often heart-wrenching decisions. At the same time, we must continue to work to increase enrollment by making families aware of the immense possibilities offered by our public schools, including an A rated academic system, world-class academic and arts programs, quality athletics, and magnet\/specialized tracks that provide unique learning opportunities for students.\u00a0 Improving our communication, outreach and transparency is paramount moving forward in retaining current students and families and attracting new students and families to our Broward County Public Schools.<\/p>\n
List in reverse chronological order each college or university attended, with years of attendance.
Juris Doctor, University of Alabama School of Law (2002 \u2013 2005); Bachelor of Arts (Zoology and History majors), Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (1996-2000)<\/p>\n
List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Maura McCarthy Bulman, PLLC (July 2014-present); Solaris Law Group, PA (February 2013 -July 2014); Maura McCarthy Bulman, PL (January 2009-February 2013).<\/p>\n
I have been a solo practitioner attorney focusing on business and real estate transactions and litigation, including employment and construction\/contractor matters, and contract law for the past 15 years.\u00a0 I briefly operated my practice within the Solaris Law Group from 2013 to 2014.<\/p>\n
Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
Too often, we are faced with binary choices when electing public officials, especially to the School Board. Specifically, we are frequently asked to choose between practical experience and a more exciting, emotional connection to an issue. I am fortunate to say that I have the combination of proven expertise and genuine personal investment to continue to serve as a strong, balanced representative for District 1. As a School Board member, I have used my extensive experience in our public schools as a mother with four sons, school volunteer and leader, community activist, and my experience as a real estate and business attorney to fight for the issues that are most important in shaping the future of education in our diverse, talented Broward County that we call home. I have worked to combat school closures in District 1, expand access to academic, arts, and athletics programming for our students, provide oversight and accountability of public dollars, and implement much needed facility improvements in my district. \u00a0 I have successfully formed partnerships with non-profits and municipalities to bring new programming to our students and benefit the greater community and will continue to do so if re-elected.\u00a0 I have worked to build a network of community connections, meeting with stakeholders and working to understand what my community needs and wants from its public school system. With this information, I plan to pursue the best ways to effectively use our taxpayer dollars to enhance partnerships, programming and improve infrastructure in our schools. We have made progress, and when I think about that progress, I think about it from all angles \u2013 from my experience dealing with the fine details of contracts to the experience of being a mother dropping her son off to class. With that balance of perspectives, I plan to continue to advocate for this community and make Broward County Public Schools the best place for families, educators, neighborhoods, and students.<\/p>\n
What in your life experience best qualifies you to serve as a school board member?
In addition to having three sons currently attending District 1 public schools and one son who graduated from South Broward High School last year, I served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, a Guardian Ad Litem, a board member and officer of the Broward County Healthy Start Coalition and am an attorney with over 20 years of experience who practices real estate and business law and started out as a housing attorney with Legal Services of Greater Miami fighting for low-income tenants and homeowners.\u00a0 These experiences have allowed me to combine my desire to achieve equity wherever possible with practical legal and business insight on the dais. I am attuned to the needs of my community and the major investments we need for the future of our public schools while also understanding contracts, real estate and business transactions and financial responsibility in order to maximize efficiency and ensure that taxpayer dollars are well spent I believe this combination of experiences gives me the perspective needed to achieve the best outcomes for our students.<\/p>\n
Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
N\/A<\/p>\n
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
N\/A<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Name: Maura McCarthy Bulman Campaign website: mauraforbroward.com Date and place of birth: February 11, 1978, Southfield, Michigan On…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346643,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[483,249,251,250,482],"class_list":["post-346642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-commentary","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346642\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}