Wanda Paul, the Broward schools official overseeing construction and operations for the district, submitted her resignation late Sunday, hours after a school board member demanded leadership changes amidst two controversies.\n<\/p>\n
Paul sent a resignation letter to Superintendent Howard Hepburn Sunday evening, saying she would step down as chief operations officer. Earlier in the day, School Board member Adam Cervera posted a statement on X that cited \u201coperational failures\u201d related to a canceled office lease agreement and a failed effort to secure a company to oversee more than $1 billion in school district construction, the latter of which is causing the district to take emergency actions<\/a> to manage the construction work.<\/p>\n Cervera called for Paul\u2019s \u201cimmediate resignation.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m demanding immediate leadership change at Broward Schools. When rules are bypassed and the board is sidelined, accountability isn\u2019t optional.<\/p>\n My statement\u2026. pic.twitter.com\/mzIcVotGaE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Adam Cervera (@AdamCervera) December 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n But Paul\u2019s departure is not immediate, according to her letter to Hepburn. Her resignation takes effect June 5, 2026, although her last day in the office will be April 3, her letter states. District spokesman John Sullivan told the South Florida Sun Sentinel she will use accrued leave for the weeks after April 3. Paul started May 20, 2024, and has a salary of $221,450.<\/p>\n \u201cSuperintendent Hepburn thanks Mrs. Paul for her dedicated service to Broward County Public Schools and for her leadership across Operations, and wishes her all the best in her future endeavors,\u201d\u00a0 Sullivan said.<\/p>\n In an email sent late Sunday night to School Board members, Hepburn said Paul \u201cverbally communicated her intent a couple of weeks ago. This letter serves as her official notice, facilitating a smooth transition and ensuring the continuation of district operations.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul could not be reached on Monday, despite multiple attempts by phone and email.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been an honor to serve Broward County Public Schools and, most importantly, the students and families of our District,\u201d Paul wrote in her resignation letter. \u201cOver the past 18 months, I am proud of the progress our team has made across Operations. Together, we have closed out 119 projects, \u2026\u00a0 strengthened processes, and advanced key initiatives that support safe, efficient, and high-quality learning environments.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile there is no doubt that important work remains, I am confident the District is on a stronger path because of the dedication and professionalism of this team,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWith that said, I believe it is time for me to transition to the next chapter of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Cervera told the Sun Sentinel on Monday that he called for Paul\u2019s \u201cimmediate\u201d resignation, not for her to continue in the role into April.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad we\u2019ve had some traction. This is not what I wanted from a timing perspective. It is what I wanted substantially,\u201d Cervera told the Sun Sentinel. \u201cMy statement went out around noon. I\u2019m glad someone read it and listened and did the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Multiple board members had said during a Dec. 16 meeting that they expected Hepburn to hold staff members accountable for recent failures related to departments Paul supervises, but Cervera was the first board member to publicly call for Paul\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe scale, repetition, and impact of these breakdowns leave no credible path forward under the current leadership structure,\u201d Cervera posted on X.<\/p>\n Cervera\u2019s demand came a day after the Sun Sentinel published an editorial<\/a> about the district\u2019s recent controversies entitled, \u201cA breach of trust imperils Broward schools.\u201d Cervera told a Sun Sentinel reporter he thought the editorial was \u201cspot on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt appears inevitable that Hepburn must fire Paul or demote her as a way of acknowledging that the board is in charge, not the staff,\u201d the editorial stated.<\/p>\n Cervera, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a> in April 2025, said in his Sunday statement that he arrived with \u201ca clear understanding of the district\u2019s troubled history, and a firm commitment to restoring accountability, transparency, and respect for governance.\u201d<\/p>\n The first issue cited by Cervera was the district\u2019s decision to enter into a $2.6 million contract to rent space in the Wilton Manors headquarters of Handy, a non-profit group whose full name is Helping Advance and Nurture the Development of Youth.<\/p>\n Paul persuaded School Board members to approve the lease in June to house facilities employees at Handy, saying it was cheaper<\/a> than remaining in its current decaying site, board members said. But the analysis provided by Paul\u2019s office didn\u2019t include an $85,000 rental deposit or $88,000 expense to install wiring. The analysis also didn\u2019t provide a cost comparison of moving operations to vacant space on a school campus.<\/p>\n Board members decided they wanted to get out of the lease after the Sun Sentinel published a story in October<\/a>, questioning why the district was spending millions for a five-year contract when the district has plenty of vacant space and is facing severe budget cuts. But they later learned an executive summary falsely stated the district could terminate the Handy lease \u201cfor convenience\u201d with just a few months\u2019 notice.<\/p>\n The School Board still voted to cancel the lease during a special Nov. 4 meeting, citing a provision in the contract that says the lease can be terminated if the district fails to allocate money in its yearly budget. Handy disputes the district\u2019s ability to cancel and has sued the district<\/a>. The case is still active.<\/p>\n The Sun Sentinel learned through emails obtained through a public records request that a district lawyer warned about potential problems with the lease but agreed to sign off on it as is, saying it was the desire of senior administrators. The emails also revealed the Handy space was too small for the number of employees and consultants the district planned to house.<\/p>\n School Board members have also voiced alarm about how Paul and her staff handled a solicitation for companies to oversee district construction. An audit<\/a> found the district changed the type of management arrangement it would seek without informing the School Board, made major changes to the selection process after bids had already been received and failed to ensure the companies selected met the district\u2019s qualifications.<\/p>\n At Hepburn\u2019s request, the School Board rejected all bids received <\/a>at a Dec. 16 meeting. But the district\u2019s contract with its current construction management company, AECOM, expires Jan. 17. So Hepburn had to declare an \u201cemergency\u201d<\/a> for the district\u2019s construction program to be able to keep using AECOM temporarily without having to go out for competitive bids.<\/p>\n The botched procurement was the latest in a string of problems that have plagued the district\u2019s construction program. It\u2019s been the subject of four grand jury reports since the 1990s, with the most recent one \u2014 released in 2022 \u2014 causing Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove four School Board members<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBroward County has experienced the consequences of mismanagement before. A state grand jury investigation and subsequent intervention should have been a turning point,\u201d Cervera wrote in his social media statement. \u201cThe public rightly expects that those lessons were learned. As someone who was not part of past decisions, I view this moment as an obligation to demand better, not later, not eventually, but now. Restoring confidence in this institution requires enforcing existing rules, verifying compliance, and ensuring real consequences when standards are ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n School Board member Nora Rupert also told the Sun Sentinel she had major concerns about Paul\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cThe operational side of BCPS, under the direction of Ms. Paul, has been one mismanagement crisis after another,\u201d Rupert said. \u201cI have had critical conversations with the superintendent about her tenure, and we surely cannot wait til April to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Not all board members were critical of Paul\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cWanda Paul brought value to [Broward County Public Schools] by being straightforward, focused, and results-driven,\u201d Board member Lori Alhadeff told the Sun Sentinel on Monday. \u201cShe cut through distractions, got projects completed, and stayed committed to what mattered most, student success.\u201d<\/p>\n Other board members could not be reached or declined to comment on Monday.<\/p>\n \t\t\t