Board discussion spotlights schools with repeated C ratings and asks staff to review leadership supports

Board Member Edwin Ferguson used a discussion item Tuesday to press the School Board of Palm Beach County for more aggressive review of school leadership where student achievement has lagged.

Ferguson said many district schools are stuck at C ratings for multiple years and argued stronger oversight and leadership changes can produce rapid improvement. “49 of our... schools have had C ratings for 3 or more years,” he said, urging the superintendent and staff to identify schools where leadership changes or supports are needed.

Several board members responded that letter grades alone do not capture the full picture of a school and noted factors that affect performance, including socioeconomics, parental engagement and staff recruitment. Vice Chair Marsha Andrews and Board Member Karen Whitfield emphasized the district’s existing leadership pipeline and district-level supports; they said the superintendent and deputy chiefs already work with principals on improvement plans.

General Counsel clarified that principals are district employees and that hiring and personnel actions for school-site principals are the superintendent’s responsibility. The board did not change policy or direct immediate personnel action at the meeting; members asked staff to bring forward data and context so trustees can see where targeted leadership interventions might be needed.

Ferguson said he will continue to press the issue and asked colleagues to review school-level data independently before follow-up conversations.