Marion County citizens urge school board “not to rush” superintendent selection

Superintendent Diane Gullett speaks during a Marion County Public School Board meeting in the auditorium at Marion Technical Institute in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

Community members are planning organized attendance at the April 29 Marion County School Board meeting to urge the school district to take its time in selecting a new superintendent to replace outgoing Superintendent Diane Gullett.

The board last week named Danielle Brewer as interim superintendent.

In a bipartisan effort by local political groups, leaders have asked citizens to attend the meeting on Tuesday and speak their mind about the process for finding the next superintendent for Marion County Public Schools.

Marion County NAACP Branch 5114 sent out a message calling all Democrats to attend the meeting to urge the school board members “to use the process in place to select the next permanent Marion County Superintendent of Schools,” according to their call to action.

At April 29 meeting, the school board is expected to finalize Brewer’s contract. . She will serve in the role for a year, three months of which will be a “transition period” for her to shadow Gullett.

At a previous school board meeting on April 17, members discussed the idea of making Brewer’s position “permanent.”

Gullett will retain control over district operations until the end of her term on July 11. During this time, Brewer will have the opportunity to recommend candidates for any job vacancies in the district.

Brewer will earn a base salary of $169,333 and receive benefits. A successor to become the permanent superintendent must be chosen by April 29, 2026.

“This would be ignoring the usual protocol of advertising for the permanent position, interviewing for the permanent position and eventually negotiating a contract for the permanent position,” wrote the Marion County NAACP.

Marion County’s Republicans are in agreement, as local GOP President Brigitte Smith called for a nationwide search for the next superintendent.

“We believe the students of Marion County Public Schools deserve the best opportunities to reach success. Our current ranking compared to the other 66 counties is abysmal,” Smith wrote. “I think every parent would agree that MCPS should conduct a nationwide search for our next superintendent; not sure that hiring from within a failing school district is our best option.”