Volusia County School Board votes to terminate superintendent immediately

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — After suddenly firing Dr. Scott Fritz, the Volusia County School Board is now looking for its fourth superintendent in seven years.

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The School Board voted to immediately terminate Fritz at their regular meeting Tuesday night.

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The vote came shortly after a break in the meeting during which Board Chair Ruben Colon said Fritz “made it very clear to me that he does not want to be here.”

After the vote, Fritz thanked his supporters and promised to help the next superintendent if needed, then left the meeting.

The board then voted to approve a severance package for Fritz totaling more than $186,000.

After another short break, board members met to discuss who would serve as Interim Superintendent until a new one is picked.

After considering three candidates, the board recommended and approved the school district’s Human Resources Director Rachel Hazel. She’s been with the district since 1996 and worked as a principal and Director of Curriculum.

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In an email to staff members in March, Dr. Fritz expressed his plans not to renew his contract, which was set to expire in December.

Now, the school board’s attention turns to the search for a permanent replacement for Dr. Fritz.

Colon says part of that process will include reaching out to former Deputy Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin to gauge her interest in the job.

Balgobin filled in for Fritz during the height of the pandemic while Fritz was out battling cancer.

Colon says during the time Balgobin was filling in, they spoke almost daily, and he was impressed with the way she managed to reopen schools successfully and safety.

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Balgobin left the district two weeks ago to take a job as a Deputy Superintendent in Broward County.

Colon says they’ve already had a discussion about her potential return to Volusia Countyn

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