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Choice of Hernando School Board vice chairperson reveals tensions

 
Published Nov. 19, 2015

BROOKSVILLE — This week's election of a new Hernando County School Board chairman was as polite as might be expected for the filling of a mostly symbolic position, but the choice of vice chairperson reflected the ongoing divide on the board.

Board member Mark Johnson nominated Matt Foreman to be chairman during the board's annual reorganization meeting Tuesday, and board members elected Foreman unanimously.

Outgoing Chairman Gus Guadagnino, who had served for two consecutive years, then nominated Johnson to be vice chairman. Johnson, like Guadagnino, has been a vocal supporter of superintendent Lori Romano.

Board member Susan Duval followed that with a nomination of colleague Beth Narverud.

Narverud and Duval have been the members most likely to question Romano. Though at an informal board meeting earlier in the day, both agreed to allow Foreman to begin negotiating Romano's new contract, which would go into effect next summer.

Narverud also backed Duval last month after Duval sent an email — to ask about a Hernando County sheriff's deputy temporarily working in district offices — that prompted Romano to inform the board that she planned to look for another job.

Johnson, on the other hand, sided with Romano after that meeting.

"I thought Susan Duval was wrong," he said. "She was blasting and going off the top without knowing the details."

In the vote Tuesday, Duval and Narverud voted for Narverud, while Johnson and Guadagnino voted for Johnson.

That left the decision to Foreman.

"Thank you for making that awkward," Foreman said.

"Without finding fault with any one person, at this point, I'm going to support Beth Narverud. I apologize to Mr. Johnson. So, Beth, you are our vice chair."

Foreman, who previously has served as chairman, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in 2011 and was elected the following year. He has announced he does not plan to run for re-election next year.

Both Narverud and Johnson were elected to the board in 2014.

Contact Dan DeWitt at ddewitt@tampabay.com; follow @ddewitttimes.