School board leaders, union respond to DeSantis calling Broward Schools ‘disaster’
Broward education leaders pushed back on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ comments that Broward County Public Schools is a “disaster,” while they acknowledged the issues the district is facing.
When DeSantis held a news conference at Broward College in Davie on Jan. 12 announcing decreases in home insurance premiums, he opened the floor for questions after his speech and received one about Broward schools.
The individual listed some of the recent controversies involving BCPS leadership, including the resignation of the chief operations officer over a terminated office lease and procurement errors tied to a $1 billion construction program.
The question also referenced findings that found some of the highest paid school officials received money from a referendum meant to boost the salaries of teachers struggling to make ends meet, as reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The questioner insinuated it may be time for the state or an “outside body” to intervene.
“Let’s just be honest. It’s been a disaster in many different ways,” DeSantis said. “You know, it is really run more to benefit the entrenched interests, particularly the school unions, rather than the parents and the students.”
Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco responded to DeSantis’ comments in her own statement, saying the union is “not the cause of the school district’s problem.”
“The members of the Broward Teachers Union are proud of the work we do with parents to ensure that every child gets the education they deserve and need,” Fusco said. “The fact of the matter is that Floridians are facing a rising cost of living crisis in the state. Teacher pay in Florida is 50th in the nation once again.”
“There are billions being siphoned from Florida’s public schools, including here in Broward, to a voucher program Florida’s own Auditor General’s office said was ripe for fraud, waste and abuse,” Fusco added.
The governor said education commissioner Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas would have to look into what the state is allowed to do under Florida law.
“Or would the legislature need to do things to be able to authorize, but there’s a handful of spots around the state where maybe thrusting some of these entities into receivership may be the best way going forward,” DeSantis said.
Vice chair Jeff Holness previously cautioned that the district need to right-size itself by making tough decisions to close schools, or else someone would do it for them.
“I also understand that if we don’t act, others will act,” Holness said in November. “So I am supportive for that reason, because if we don’t do something, the state is going to do something.”
Ahead of the Broward school board’s workshop Jan. 13, the school board leaders held a news conference, where they addressed the comments while commending how far the district has come.
“This is not the Broward Schools of the past, this is a new Broward Schools,” school board chair Sarah Leonardi said. “Let’s talk about the new Broward. We are a back-to-back A-rated school district with no D or F schools for the first time ever.”
Superintendent Howard Hepburn acknowledged the various concerns the district is dealing with, as BCPS enrolled 10,000 fewer students in the previous school year, contributing to a significant budget shortfall.
“It’s been 10 years in the making that this has not been addressed, and so unfortunately, and fortunately, we have an opportunity to correct the path for the future for our students and for the citizens of Broward County,” Hepburn said.
Leonardi said they would welcome the governor’s team to “help us find further efficiency.”
Meanwhile, other school board members broke ranks with the leaders’ more optimistic comments, with District 6 member Adam Cervera calling on state officials in his own news conference to help the district “address a series of alarming financial and oversight failures.”
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 6:20 PM.