The Broward County School Board members are nine elected officials who set policy for Broward County Public Schools, a district of 325 schools serving roughly 244,000 students. Seven members represent numbered geographic districts and must live in the area they represent; two are elected countywide as at-large members. Every seat carries one equal vote.
Who Currently Serves
- District 1: Maura McCarthy Bulman
- District 2: Rebecca Thompson
- District 3: Sarah Leonardi (Chair)
- District 4: Lori Alhadeff
- District 5: Dr. Jeff Holness (Vice Chair)
- District 6: Adam Cervera, Esq.
- District 7: Nora Rupert
- At-Large Seat 8: Dr. Allen Zeman
- At-Large Seat 9: Debra Hixon
The chair and vice chair are chosen by the board itself. They preside over meetings, set agendas, and speak for the board between sessions.1Broward County Public Schools. School Board
District Seats and At-Large Seats
Seven of the nine members are tied to a specific geographic area, from Pembroke Pines to Coral Springs to Hollywood, and each of those members must live in the district they represent for the entire term.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 1001.34 – Membership of District School Board The two at-large members are elected by voters across the whole county.1Broward County Public Schools. School Board
The distinction matters at the microphone more than at the vote. District members tend to raise problems that hit their communities harder, like overcrowding in a school cluster or a transportation route. At-large members bring a countywide lens. But every member votes on every item, from budget lines to curriculum standards.
What the Board Decides
The board is a policy body, not a management team. Members do not run schools or supervise teachers. They vote at public meetings, and the superintendent and staff carry those decisions out.
The largest single duty is the annual budget. For fiscal year 2025, the district budget totaled $6.1 billion, covering the general operating fund, food services, capital construction, grants, and debt payments.3Broward County Public Schools. Fiscal Year 2025 Budget in Brief The board also has sole authority to approve multi-year contracts regardless of dollar amount, so no long-term vendor or construction agreement moves forward without a board vote.4Broward County Public Schools. Purchasing Policy 3800
The board hires and evaluates the superintendent, who runs the district day to day. In Broward County the superintendent is appointed by the board, not elected. When the board parted ways with its previous superintendent in 2024, it hired an outside search firm and appointed an interim leader during the search.
Beyond money and personnel, the board sets policies on student conduct, curriculum standards, employee expectations, and school safety. Each of these is adopted by formal vote at a public meeting and applies to every school in the district.
How Members Are Elected and How Long They Serve
School board elections in Broward County are nonpartisan. Candidates do not run under a party label, and party affiliation does not appear on the ballot. Elections fall in even-numbered years, with a primary in August and, if needed, a general election in November. Five of the nine seats are up in 2026, with a primary on August 18 and the general election on November 3.
Terms run four years and are staggered, so the full board never turns over at once. If a candidate wins more than 50 percent in the primary and no write-in candidate has qualified for the general, that candidate wins outright and does not appear on the November ballot. Otherwise the top two finishers advance.
Florida now imposes eight-year consecutive term limits on school board members statewide. A member cannot appear on the ballot for reelection if completing that term would put them at eight or more consecutive years in the seat. The limit applies only to terms that began on or after November 8, 2022, so members already in office before that date started their eight-year clock with their next term.5Florida Senate. HB 477 Term Limits for District School Board Members – Staff Final Bill Analysis
Candidates for a district seat must be registered voters in Broward County and residents of the specific district, with residency established by the date they take office.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 1001.361 – District School Board Members Residence Areas At-large candidates need to be registered voters in the county but do not have to live in any particular district. All candidates must meet Florida’s general requirements for public office, including being at least 18 and a U.S. citizen.
Pay
Members do not set their own pay. State law ties compensation to a formula based on county population, capped at the district’s starting salary for teachers with a bachelor’s degree, whichever is lower.7The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 1001.395 – District School Board Members Compensation For a county the size of Broward, the population formula produces a base of $10,000, but the beginning teacher salary cap is what governs the final figure. Members may voluntarily take less than the statutory amount.
Meetings and Public Access
The board meets at the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center, 600 SE 3rd Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Meetings include regular board sessions, special meetings, and workshops on specific topics.8Broward County Public Schools. Upcoming School Board Meetings All are open to the public under Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, which requires any gathering where two or more members discuss board business to be publicly noticed and open.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 286.011 – Public Meetings and Records
Residents can sign up to speak. At workshops, speakers are allowed three minutes each to address a topic after board discussion.8Broward County Public Schools. Upcoming School Board Meetings
How a Member Can Be Removed
Florida voters cannot recall school board members. The recall statute applies only to elected officials in municipalities and charter counties.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 100.361 – Municipal Recall Between elections, two paths exist: gubernatorial suspension or criminal prosecution.
Under Article IV, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution, the governor can suspend any county officer, including school board members, for malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform the job, or commission of a felony. The governor issues an executive order stating the grounds, and the suspended member is immediately barred from performing official duties or drawing a salary.11Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution – Article IV, Section 7
The Florida Senate then decides whether to remove the member permanently or reinstate them, and the governor can reinstate a suspended official at any time before that Senate vote. If the Senate votes to remove, the governor appoints a replacement who serves until the next general election. This process has been used in Broward County before.