Duval School Board stays local in naming interim superintendent

Jacksonville, FL — The Duval County School Board has voted unanimously (one member was absent) to name Dr. Patricia Willis as interim superintendent.  Willis is a former Deputy Superintendent with DCPS, and was considered by many board members as an internal candidate.  She retired in 2012.

“There may be some areas that we need to tweak but beyond that we want to continue to move our schools forward in the direction we’re going”, said Willis.

Willis and former Hillsborough County Superintendent Dr. Earl Leonard were interviewed Wednesday morning.  Following the interview, board members expressed interest having an interim leader who can steady the ship and make adjustments as needed.

Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti is leaving Jacksonville to take over as Superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools. 
The Duval School Board will begin contract negotiations with Dr. Willis immediately.   Board members were guided to keep the compensation package the same as Dr. Vitti during the interim period. 
The School Board intends to begin a more elaborate process of identifying, interviewing, and ultimately selecting a permanent superintendent.

The School Board had previously agreed that the interim will not be considered for the permanent job.