Overview
- Wanda Paul filed her resignation letter to Superintendent Howard Hepburn on Sunday, setting an effective departure of June 5, 2026, with her last day in office on April 3 to allow a transition.
- Board member Adam Cervera publicly demanded Paul’s immediate resignation, citing operational failures tied to a canceled $2.6 million lease and a collapsed construction oversight procurement.
- An internal audit found staff bypassed procedures, skipped required evaluations, and failed to fully inform the School Board during the construction solicitation, prompting the Board to reject all bids on Dec. 16.
- With the AECOM contract expiring Jan. 17, Hepburn declared an emergency to keep the firm in place temporarily without competitive bidding.
- Handy has sued the district over the terminated lease, as leaders also contend with a roughly 10,000-student enrollment drop and an $85 million budget shortfall under review for potential closures and cuts.