The Brevard County School Board approved a separation agreement Tuesday allowing Superintendent Mark Rendell to leave the district for a new position at Eastern Florida State College, despite repeated calls from residents, parents and teachers to postpone the decision until two newly elected board members take office next week.
The agreement sets Rendell’s final day with Brevard Public Schools as Nov. 27. It also provides payment for his unused vacation and sick leave and releases him from potential claims by the district.
The vote happened during a special meeting called by board Chair Matt Susin, just seven days before the board’s regularly scheduled Nov. 17 organizational meeting, when incoming members Kyle Savage and Michele McCormack are expected to be sworn in.
A contentious meeting
More than 30 residents spoke during public comment, with many asking the board why they needed to approve the agreement before the new members could participate.
Commenters were met with loud applause from the audience. Board members could be seen smiling as residents voiced their concerns. Some residents saw that reaction as dismissive.
The audience returned the favor when board members had their chance to address the agenda items. Their remarks were repeatedly met with loud groans, interruptions and shouted protests from the crowd. At one point, Susin pushed back, calling the behavior “disrespectful and trashy.”
John Thomas, the board’s District 3 representative, was the lone no vote. He argued there was no legal requirement to approve the agreement Tuesday and that the incoming board deserved a chance to review its implications.
“Our school board attorney has confirmed Dr. Rendell's contract stands on its own,” Thomas said. “The attorney has also confirmed that this board is under no legal obligation to enter into an agreement, and that there is no legal requirement to approve it today.”
Rendell announced last week that he was leaving to become Eastern Florida State College’s vice president of workforce education. His contract with BPS was set to run through June 30, 2028.
The separation agreement waives a 90-day notice requirement and includes a broad release of potential legal claims between Rendell and the school board. That means the district agrees not to pursue claims against him, including those that may be “known or unknown, fixed or contingent.”
That provision brought up criticism from residents who wondered why the district would give up its ability to seek accountability.
Anthony Colucci, president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers, said the incoming board should have a say before the district signs away those protections.
“What happens if something comes to light six months from now? What if the incoming board uncovers actions or decisions that resulted in financial harm to this district? Why would we sign away our ability to seek accountability?” Colucci said.
The agreement also provides payment for 178 hours of unused vacation and 1,094.7 hours of unused sick leave. Based Rendell’s reported 2025 salary of $307,494, that could add up to roughly $160,000.
That price tag added more questions about how BPS faces financial pressures. In September, the district approved $100 million in short-term borrowing debt to help cover operating expenses while awaiting property tax revenue. It has also been working through a budget that includes $79 million in proposed cuts.
Some residents asked about the fairness of paying out unused leave while schools and employees face reductions, saying the money could instead go toward staffing and teacher salaries.
There was also the death of 5-year-old Bellamy Dawkins-Morris at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay. The child died earlier this month after an interactive display board fell on him in a classroom. BPS has launched a review that’s still active and pending results of more than 3,000 Promethean display boards across the district.
The child’s parents have also acquired a law firm to launch their own investigation.
Brevard resident Sean Griffiths referenced the tragedy and other recent challenges.
“Dr. Rendell, have you given much thought to what your legacy in Brevard County will be?,” he asked. “Because I have, and there's something profoundly sad about your final chapter being in a room full of citizens, not celebrating your accomplishments, but demanding this board stop giving you special treatment on your way out after everything this district has endured -- historic flooding that destroyed homes, displaced families and disrupted our children's education, young boy losing his life in one of our classrooms amid reports of safety concerns raised beforehand.”
He also mentioned the substitute teacher shortages, amidst a districtwide onboarding freeze, and student education staffing problems, saying experienced paraprofessionals are leaving while those who remain struggle to keep up.
“And through it all, our teachers and support staffs (are) holding things together,” Griffiths said. “I personally sacrificed wages to attend these meetings, and I've heard from countless others who just simply can't afford to do that.”
Board members defend decision
Susin said he wanted to move forward with the superintendent transition and give the incoming board an opportunity to begin the process of selecting new leadership.
He said he had asked Rendell whether his contract could be shortened to allow the district to move toward an interim superintendent.
“The best opportunity that we had was I asked Dr. Rendell if we could shorten his contract down to Friday the 13th, so that we could make that move, and I wanted to have the new board members make the decision and start the process on working towards that goal,” Susin said.
“That's exactly the reason I called the meeting.”
Board member Katye Campbell also defended the agreement, saying the unused leave payments were consistent with what other year-round district employees receive.
She referenced a similar separation agreement approved for former Superintendent Mark Mullins in 2022.
“Those kinds of issues like the vacation pay, that is standard, and all administrators who are not just administrators but full-time employees who get vacation pay,” Campbell said.
Thomas, however, maintained that postponing the vote until Nov. 17 would not have prevented Rendell from leaving on the agreed-upon date.
“This is not about delaying Dr. Rendell's departure,” Thomas said. “It is about ensuring that we exercise sound judgment, protect taxpayer dollars and maintain public trust.”
Rendell reflects on his tenure
Before the meeting adjourned, Rendell thanked the board and district employees for their work during his tenure.
He spoke about Brevard's academic performance, including three consecutive years as an A-rated district and its ranking among the top 15 school districts in Florida.
“Now none of this happened because of one person,” Rendell said. “It is the result of many people working together toward a shared mission and vision.”
He thanked teachers, principals, custodians, bus drivers, food service workers and other district employees for their contributions, and thanked the board for its confidence in him over the past three and a half years.
“I look forward to working with Brevard Public Schools in my new role at Eastern Florida State College,” Rendell said.
During his tenure, the district has also faced a series of operational and financial dilemmas.
A December 2025 operational audit by the Florida Auditor General identified five areas where Brevard Public Schools did not consistently follow state requirements or maintain adequate internal controls.
Among the findings, auditors found that the district had failed to complete 22 of 25 employee separation affidavits reviewed. They also found gaps in the reporting of sexual misconduct, inaccurate reporting of adult education instructional hours and inadequate oversight of district purchasing cards.
The meeting adjourned seconds after Rendell’s remarks, and members of the audience responded, once more, with loud, audible groans.
