The Florida Senate

In every district authorized to employ a district school superintendent under Art. IX of the State Constitution, the district school superintendent shall be the executive officer of the district school board and shall not be subject to the provisions of law, either general or special, relating to tenure of employment or contracts of other school personnel. The district school superintendent’s duties relating to the district school system shall be as provided by law and rules of the State Board of Education.

The district school board of each of such districts shall enter into contracts of employment with the district school superintendent and shall adopt rules relating to his or her appointment; however, the district school board may not enter into an employment contract that requires the district to pay from state funds a superintendent an amount in excess of 1 year of the superintendent’s annual salary for termination, buyout, or any other type of contract settlement. This subsection does not prohibit the payment of earned leave and benefits in accordance with the district’s leave and benefits policies which were accrued by the superintendent before the contract terminates.

The district school board of each such district shall pay to the district school superintendent a reasonable annual salary. In determining the amount of compensation to be paid, the board shall take into account such factors as:

A district school superintendent employed under the terms of this section may participate in the courses of continuing professional education provided in the special qualification certification program pursuant to s. 1001.47(4) and the leadership development and performance compensation program pursuant to s. 1001.47(5), as established by the department. Upon successful completion of the certification requirements for one or both of these programs, the district school board may use such certification or certifications as a factor in determining the amount of compensation to be paid.

Notwithstanding any other law, resolution, or rule to the contrary, a district school superintendent employed under this section may not receive more than $225,000 in remuneration annually from state funds. As used in this subsection, the term “remuneration” means salary, bonuses, and cash-equivalent compensation paid to a district school superintendent by his or her employer for work performed, excluding health insurance benefits and retirement benefits. Only compensation, as defined in s. 121.021(22), provided to a district school superintendent may be used in calculating benefits under chapter 121.

District school boards and superintendents employed pursuant to this section are encouraged to review the superintendent’s annual remuneration for the 2009-2010 fiscal year and mutually agree to a reduction of at least 5 percent.