Manatee Schools Superintendent Rick Mills responds to critics: 'If you don't want me here, I'm fine with that'

BRADENTON -- After two community members lobbied to add a complaint against Manatee County School District Superintendent Rick Mills to the Manatee County School Board agenda Tuesday night, an angered Mills lashed out.

"If you don't want me here, I'm fine with that. But that's not going to solve your problem," Mills said.

Christine Sket, who first emailed complaining about Mills' behavior April 1, asked the board to consider suspending Mills pending an investigation or firing him immediately.

Kate Smith, another parent, said Sket's complaint is one of many.

"This is only the tip of the iceberg," said Smith, who is suing the school district for not providing enough student recess time to comply with state regulations. "There are numerous just-cause grounds for terminating Mr. Mills."

After tense discussion among board members, Chairman Bob Gause said he wanted to meet with board attorney Jim Dye to determine if any of Sket's complaints warrant launching an investigation into Mills.

Prior to the tense moments, the board heard updates during a workshop Tuesday to its long-range planning and future funding sources to cope with the predicted growth.

Representatives from DeJong-Richter, an Ohio-based company that has worked with seven school districts in Florida, presented a layout of how they would work with the district to create a long-term plan if hired. The company is the top-ranked firm responding to the district request for proposals. An agenda item to formally approve a contract with the firm will go before the board at a future meeting. Tuesday's workshop presentation was a chance for the board to meet with the firm before hiring them.

"We're not an architectural firm. We're not an engineering firm," said Tracy Richter, head of the company. "Our job is planning and that's what we do."

The company would work with district staff to examine existing data. The company plan includes extensive meetings with community members to take their perspectives into account.

"We want to engage at all levels," Richter said.

The board also heard from Don Hall, deputy superintendent of operations, and Rebecca Roberts, chief financial officer, on how the district long-range financial situation is going to play out as the board looks to long-range planning.

"This is directly tied to the presentation you just heard," Hall said. "The long-range master plan is directly tied to the budget and vice versa."

Hall and Roberts reiterated unless changes are made, which could include reinstating impact fees, collecting more millage, reinstating the half-penny sales tax and floating a bond, the district simply would not be able to keep up with its financial needs.

"We're not saying we're going to do it," Hall said. "We're saying if we don't do it there will be consequences."

All funding options, except impact fees, require voter approval.

"That's going to be a very hard sell. But that is the fact," Hall said. "All we're doing is presenting the facts. That's the fact."

During the board meeting, free breakfast was approved for all students next year, lunch prices were increased and the calendar for the 2015-16 year was tentatively adopted taking into account legislation passed Tuesday allowing the school year to start as early as Aug. 10.

The new calendar resolved former issues, most notably a proposed half-day of school on Good Friday. School will start Aug. 10 and Good Friday will fall during spring break. Last day for students will be May 25.

"It answers every piece of public feedback that we got at the last meeting. As a former teacher, I wish we had this calendar for years," board member Charlie Kennedy said.

The board will finalize the calendar after the community has a look at it.

It was the first board meeting since staff attorney Mitchell Teitelbaum said during an Audit Committee meeting there appeared to be bid tampering from construction projects in 2008-09. Teitelbaum's report implicated former superintendents Roger Dearing, Tim McGonegal and Gause in potential wrongdoing.

Dearing spoke out against Teitelbaum's report.

"The characterization, the misleading statements, the false statements and the omission of facts in that report is egregious, defamatory, uneducated and unethical," he said while giving board members a binder full of information. "I never thought I'd be on this side of the podium doing something like this. The wrong has to be righted."

Teitelbaum stood by his report reiterating the matter has been referred to the State Attorney General.

"My office disagrees with the legal conclusion of Dr. Dearing," Teitelbaum said.

In other business Tuesday, the board approved:

Reimbursing former Manatee High School assistant principal Matthew Kane $49,000 in legal fees incurred defending criminal charges stemming from the Roderick Frazier student abuse case. Kane was acquitted of both charges he faced.

Naming the Southeast High School football field Paul Maechtle Field.

Hiring Sarah Brown as chief human resources officer; Cliff Chroust, purchasing director; and Troy Nelson, security manager.

Writing to the joint legislative audit committee concerning findings the district is still addressing.

Sending letters to state representatives opposing a bill to force State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota and Manatee Technical College to change their names.

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter @MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published April 15, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee Schools Superintendent Rick Mills responds to critics: 'If you don't want me here, I'm fine with that'."