TAMPA — Hillsborough County schools superintendent MaryEllen Elia on Tuesday appointed Jeff Eakins, one of her two deputies, to serve as acting superintendent after her departure in early March. "You have a great leader here, someone who knows the district well," Elia told School Board members.A workshop is planned Tuesday, at which board members will discuss a long-term plan to replace Elia, who was fired Jan. 20 in a 4-3 board vote. Some members suggested offering Eakins, who has been with the district for 25 years, a contract for one year or longer as they search for a permanent replacement for Elia. At times they questioned whether it is even necessary to go through the time and expense of a national search if the best candidate is already on the job.At stake is not just the smooth operation of the nation's eighth-largest school district, but also confidence from a community that reacted harshly to Elia's firing and the $1.1 million payout it will cost taxpayers."I think that our community deserves a national search," said board member Melissa Snively. Although, like the others, she said she was pleased to see Eakins agree to step in as acting superintendent.The action taken Jan. 20, the night of Elia's firing, calls for her to retain the title of superintendent until June 30, meaning the board cannot replace her before then. Officially she will be on vacation starting March 6.Raw feelings were evident throughout Tuesday's meeting, which lasted more than four hours.Early on, member April Griffin objected to the promotion of Denny Oest to assistant superintendent — not because of anything about Oest, but because she and chairwoman Susan Valdes were concerned about the way promotions are conveyed to the board. Griffin also said she thought Elia would hold off on making high-level Cabinet appointments in her final months on the job.Lacking the support she needed to postpone his appointment, Griffin withdrew her objection.Later, there was a discussion about an agenda item concerning office space and aides for board members, who now share secretaries and work in cubicles. Griffin said the cost information posted on the agenda — which led to ridicule from people who criticized the board for firing Elia — was not what members requested. But Elia said it was exactly what they requested. Member Cindy Stuart, who first raised the issue of office space and aides, said it's best to drop the matter for now.The firing of Elia, a finalist for national Superintendent of the Year, has brought attention to the district from around the country. Despite their disagreements, board members said Tuesday they look forward to putting the controversy behind them.Member Doretha Edgecomb said she hopes the acting superintendent can bring "stability and a sense of security" to the district. "There are a lot of scared people right now," she said.