Set to retire by July 31, Manatee Schools chief Rick Mills says, 'I don't think I any longer have the support of the board'

BRADENTON -- Rick Mills announced Monday he intends to step down as Manatee County School District superintendent effective at the end of July.

Mills, who confirmed his retirement, granted the Bradenton Herald an interview Monday evening. He said he chose to step down because he felt he does not have the support of the Manatee County School Board since the elections last fall.

"I don't think I any longer have the support of the board," he said. "After two years, I know if I have the support."

The board may choose to accept the timing of Mills' retirement or ask him to leave earlier as it embarks on a superintendent search, the second in three years.

Mills, who recently turned 60, joined the school district in 2013 to repair fiscal devastation left by his predecessor, Tim McGonegal. His contract runs through 2017.

Mills' style may have helped prompt his departure. Critics said his manner created a schism and fed into distrust among community members, employees and even some school board members, although Mills says the allusion of fear and retaliation coming from his office is without merit.

"I totally disagree with the allusion out there," he said. "There's not been one documented case."

He often pointed to a secret group he and former school board member Julie Aranibar and supporters dubbed the "Westies" -- a group mainly made up of West Bradenton residents that openly endorsed candidates during school board elections -- for creating problems for the district by being critical of his direction.

In hearing news of his departure, Aranibar blamed the agenda of a small group of people.

"It's very clear a small group of people don't want things to change," she said. "It would behoove all of us to find a way to work together."

Parents and educators accused Mills of bullying, and legal issues -- many viewed as personal vendettas -- have dominated district discussion. Mills said neither Pat Barber, who represents teachers, or Bruce Mohr, who represents other district workers, have ever come to him with teachers or workers who feel they've been retaliated against because of him. Both said the unions were able to work with Mills.

Mills did what he was hired to do in the short-term. Mills and his team said they have largely fixed immediate financial issues. Beset by a fast-growing population, the district needs long-term solutions and is struggling to find them.

The school district is also still trying to find its way academically as it languishes in the bottom half of the state in terms of achievement. Although student scores have gained recently, the new Florida Standards have also created controversy in the community, as students take newer, more rigorous tests this year.

Mills said these turnarounds, which is what he was brought here to do, are often overlooked and undervalued.

"There have been so many good things that have happened in the past two years that have been overlooked," he said. "That is a shame."

On Monday, parent activist Christine Sket said it became clear to Mills just how polarized the district was. She doesn't necessarily think her recent complaint about Mills was the tipping point but it brought about the "realization."

"I would like to believe he didn't truly understand the needs of this county and the needs of our students," Sket said. "Hopefully, we can all heal."

The news shocked some school board members, but others said it was to be expected given some of the happenings in the district lately.

"I'm not surprised," board member Karen Carpenter said. "Nobody would deserve the kind of abuse that's been dished out."

Prior to his two-year anniversary in March, Mills announced he wouldn't seek an additional year on his contract. His contract, unless the board takes action, automatically extends an additional year, which would have kept him in Manatee County until 2018. Mills told the board he didn't want that.

A few weeks later, in an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Mills said he still wanted to be in Manatee County for the long haul and his decision not to ask for an additional year was to make a statement to the board and the public.

Board member Mary Cantrell said she was surprised Mills is retiring.

"There's a certain amount of shock in it," she said.

Cantrell said she thinks Mills tried to do the best he could, but said she thought being an outsider to Florida -- unaccustomed to quirky Florida laws and policies -- didn't help Mills in the community.

"I hope people are appreciative of everything he has done," she said.

Board member Dave Miner, a vocal critic of Mills' hires and decisions, said the board has to "respect his decision."

Charlie Kennedy said he wanted to reserve comment until he spoke to Mills personally.

Board Chairman Bob Gause said he hoped the Mills hiring would have turned out differently.

"We have to select a new superintendent the community and the district will get behind," he said. "The direction we go will be a board decision."

Getting there may be strenuous as the district still has a number of issue to work through.

The district is also still dealing with fallout from the Roderick Frazier student abuse case, including several lawsuits filed against the district by employees caught up in the legal saga.

Bob Gagnon, a former Manatee High School principal cleared of all criminal and procedural wrongdoing by a criminal judge and an administrative law judge, filed a defamation suit in February. The district has not been served with that suit as of Monday afternoon, said staff attorney Mitchell Teitelbaum.

Julie Aranibar, a former board member named in the suit, confirmed she had been served.

The district is still working through what to do with Troy Pumphrey, the now-suspended professional standards investigator and one of Mills' hires. A recent outside investigation found Pumphrey was untruthful on his application with the school district. Pumphrey said he didn't have a criminal record -- a 1997 criminal charge was expunged -- but a lawyer recommended Pumphrey be allowed to fix his application and be reinstated, because the district had allowed others to do so in the past, a practice that should be fixed.

Mills' retirement will come at a time of unprecedented change for the district as it has to embark on a long-term financial strategy to help deal with the growth in the county.

District officials anticipate needing at least one more high school, middle school and elementary school to handle the expected influx of student population. To do that, officials say they need to reinstate impact fees, collect more local taxes, reapprove the half-cent sales tax and float a $150 million bond.

Everything except the impact fees needs voter approval.

If the district is going to have to go through the process of hiring a new superintendent, at least it will be happening now, and not immediately before asking the public for more money, Kennedy said. This announcement gives the board more time to find a suitable replacement before the funding has to go to a referendum.

"Hopefully this will be an orderly transition," Kennedy said.

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

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Set to retire by July 31, Manatee Schools chief Rick Mills says, 'I don't think I any longer have the support of the board'."