Introduction to the Conflict

Broward School leaders have decided it’s time to rein in a large and vocal group of parent and community volunteers that make up advisory committees and are known for giving frequent — and sometimes pointed — advice on how the district operates.

Background on the Advisory Committees

The volunteers, in turn, are accusing the district of trying to silence their voices and “DOGE” their committees, a term referring to the Trump administration’s efforts to slash a number of federal agencies. The district is not proposing any job cuts as a result of this effort. The district’s advisory groups give input on issues related to students with special needs, students with limited English skills, facility conditions, technology, finance, and other matters. Leaders of some of these groups also regularly speak at School Board meetings and send emails to staff voicing frustrations.

Proposed Changes to the Committees

In recent weeks, School Board members have proposed placing limits on how long volunteers can serve as committee leaders and how many committees they can serve on at one time, ideas that are still under review. On March 7, Superintendent Howard Hepburn proposed consolidating committees and reducing the total number from 20 to six. After that idea was panned, Hepburn announced the district would create an 11-member task force to study committee structures over the next 60 days and make recommendations to the School Board.

Reactions from Volunteers and District Officials

Some district officials say many of the committees, while having active leaders, fail to have enough participation to get quorum and often lack focus. “I think we’ll probably pare down the number of committees and then grow them back up,” School Board member Allen Zeman said. “But I think that the relationship needs a reset.” The effort has frustrated Coral Springs parent Jacqui Luscombe, who chairs the district’s ESE Advisory Council, which advocates for special needs students. She has complained at public meetings that board members voiced concerns about seeing “the same old faces,” and saying they would like to hear from “real parents.”

History of Tensions

Hepburn’s proposal to abolish many committees “was just extraordinary. It showed a complete tone deafness to even understanding what we do,” Luscombe told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The new task force, with members appointed by the superintendent and School Board, has been problematic as well, Luscombe said, as it includes members who have no experience working with district advisory committees. The parent volunteers say this is the latest in a series of disrespectful actions the district has taken toward volunteers.

Incident Involving Detective John Mastrianni

They note that in October 2023, district police Detective John Mastrianni arrested Debbie Espinoza, the 2020 volunteer of the year, at a School Board meeting, alleging her body lunged into his. He accused her in an arrest report of battery on a law enforcement officer. The arrest came after Espinoza and another parent got into a verbal exchange over sex education, which prompted the meeting to be briefly recessed. An outside consultant reviewed surveillance video and found serious flaws with Espinoza’s arrest, saying the detective was standing so close to her that it was hard for her to avoid contact with him. The State Attorney’s Office declined to bring charges against Espinoza.

Complaints and Investigations

Hepburn’s predecessor declined to open a personnel investigation on Mastrianni, and Hepburn renewed him for the 2024-25 school year, angering many volunteers. They blasted the district’s handling of the incident at multiple meetings. That prompted Mastrianni last summer to file a bullying complaint against Nathalie Lynch-Walsh, who volunteers in leadership roles on three district advisory committees. Lynch-Walsh was one of several volunteers who spoke about the issue at board meetings. An internal review, released in August, sided with Mastrianni and recommended Lynch-Walsh be removed from her committees. Hepburn forwarded that complaint to an outside law firm after Lynch-Walsh complained that the review violated district policies. The firm hasn’t released its findings yet.

Task Force and Committee Leadership

A parent and volunteer for 13 years, Lynch-Walsh currently chairs the district’s Audit Committee and District Advisory Group, which addresses concerns of parents. She’s also an officer in the district’s Facilities Task Force, where she has blasted the district’s slow progress on school renovation projects. Lynch-Walsh also cooperated with a grand jury investigation that resulted in four School Board members being removed. She also filed new complaints to the state in 2024 related to the ethics of several current School Board members. A state-directed review of the 2024 complaints found no evidence of wrongdoing by board members.

Conclusion

The conflict between the Broward School district and its volunteers highlights the challenges in maintaining effective communication and collaboration between the administration and the community. While the district seeks to reform its advisory committees, volunteers fear their voices are being silenced. The outcome of the task force’s recommendations and the future of the advisory committees remain uncertain, leaving the community to wonder about the impact on the district’s decision-making process.

FAQs

1. What is the main issue between the Broward School district and its volunteers?
   • The main issue is the district’s attempt to reform its advisory committees, which volunteers perceive as an attempt to silence their voices.
2. What does "DOGE" refer to in this context?
   • "DOGE" refers to the Trump administration’s efforts to slash a number of federal agencies, used here to describe the district’s perceived attempt to significantly reduce the number and influence of advisory committees.
3. What are the proposed changes to the advisory committees?
   • Proposed changes include limiting the term of committee leaders, reducing the number of committees, and consolidating committees.
4. What incident contributed to the tensions between the district and volunteers?
   • The arrest of volunteer Debbie Espinoza by Detective John Mastrianni at a School Board meeting in October 2023 contributed to the tensions.
5. What is the role of the task force established by the district?
   • The task force is to study the committee structures and make recommendations to the School Board regarding the future of the advisory committees.