Brevard school board OKs superintendent’s exit deal after heated public meeting

A special Brevard Public Schools meeting grew heated Tuesday as board members approved the exit terms for Superintendent Mark Rendell, who is leaving the district to take a job at Eastern Florida State College.

The meeting drew a packed crowd and quickly became tense, with public outbursts, accusations and concerns raised about transparency, taxpayer dollars and the timing of the agreement.

Rendell’s final day with Brevard Public Schools will be Friday, two weeks earlier than previously stated. Under the approved terms, he will be paid for 178 hours of accrued but unused vacation leave and more than 1,000 hours of accrued but unused sick time. News 6 is still working to determine the total cost of that payout.

Several speakers criticized the board for moving forward with the agreement before two newly elected school board members take office.

“Rushing a special meeting to approve a controversial severance agreement before they’re seated undermines the will of the voters,” one speaker said.

Others said the district should slow down given several ongoing concerns, including the superintendent leaving during the school year, the absence of a chief financial officer, short-term debt and an independent investigation into a child’s death.

[WATCH: Questions mount after deadly accident at Brevard County elementary school]

“A superintendent walking out in the middle of a school year. No chief financial officer, a hundred million dollars in short-term debt and an independent investigation into a child’s death,” one speaker said. “Those are reasons to slow down, not speed up.”

Board members also pushed back during the meeting as interruptions continued. At one point, officials called for order as yelling broke out in the room.

Despite the disruptions, the board ultimately approved the terms of Rendell’s departure.

Rendell is leaving Brevard Public Schools for a position at Eastern Florida State College. His last day with the district is set for Friday, and News 6 will continue working to learn the full financial impact of the approved exit agreement.