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Hernando school superintendent doesn't get job in Osceola

 
The Hernando County School Board contemplates renewed negotiations with chief Lori Romano.
The Hernando County School Board contemplates renewed negotiations with chief Lori Romano.
Published Jan. 20, 2016

The Osceola County School Board on Tuesday passed over Hernando County school superintendent Lori Romano for its top job — a decision Hernando board members said would likely lead to renewed negotiations to keep her in her current position.

"I can understand (Romano's) frustration or disappointment, if she has any," said Hernando County School Board member Mark Johnson, a vocal supporter of Romano's. "But now maybe we can get serious and move forward and get this thing done."

Romano, after saying she felt "micromanaged" by board member Susan Duval in October, told the board she planned to seek other jobs. She had been named one of three finalists in Osceola.

Though Romano also has said she hoped to remain in Hernando, negotiations to extend her current three-year contract have recently stalled.

At a meeting last week, Hernando School Board Chairman Matt Foreman said he had not received a response to the district's latest offer.

"My plan is to continue negotiations," he said after the Osceola board's decision. "That had been my plan all along, to try to reach an agreement to keep Dr. Romano here."

Johnson and another board member, Gus Guadagnino, have both expressed frustration that the contract had not been completed and that Romano had not been offered more money.

Duval and board member Beth Narverud, on the other hand, have both said the district would be better off waiting until Romano had heard about the Osceola job, which has an advertised salary range of $185,000 to $225,000.

Romano currently receives a base salary of $120,000 and the board has previously said her next multiyear contract would start at at least $130,000. It will likely climb in subsequent years and include several thousand dollars annually in incentives and other compensation.

The Osceola board chose to offer the job to Debra Pace, an associate superintendent from Brevard County with administrative experience in Osceola schools, by a 4-0 vote at its Tuesday evening meeting. Romano, through district spokeswoman Karen Jordan, declined to make a statement. Narverud said that though she was relieved Osceola had not chosen Romano, she had "mixed feelings."

"I don't like being anybody's backup plan and that's what I think we are," she said.

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