Alachua County school board delays Citizens Field vote, approves principal reassignments

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The Alachua County School Board delayed a vote on the future of Citizens Field and approved principal reassignments during a tense meeting Tuesday night.

Board members spent hours debating both issues at district headquarters.

Citizens Field vote tabled

The school board unanimously agreed to table a vote on a proposed agreement with the city of Gainesville involving Citizens Field.

The plan would eventually allow the school district to become the sole owner of the stadium for a purchase price of $500,000.

District documents estimate a full demolition and rebuild could cost between $22 million and $25 million.

Several board members said they only received the agreement about an hour before the meeting and needed more time to review it.

“You know, I felt like I had good reason, and now it’s coming back to me it’s like I feel like we’re being hamstrung a little bit, you know, I really wish this came to us a week ago,” board member Thomas Vu said.

The board moved the discussion to a June 16 meeting.

Principal reassignments approved

A separate discussion over principal and assistant principal reassignments sparked frustration among some board members.

The moves impact more than 10 administrators across the district, raising concerns from some parents.

Board member Janine Plavac questioned the reasoning behind the changes and whether enough information had been provided.

Board member Leanetta McNealy said the public and board members needed more time to review the changes.

“I’ve said to the superintendent where I think this individual or that individual but she still has the ultimate decision. I’m not happy, I’m not happy with the way this has gone down and the way we are moving forward,” McNealy said.

Superintendent Dr. Kamela Patton defended the reassignments, saying the decisions were made to address school needs, retirements, school closures and upcoming changes to grade configurations.

She also said discussing specific personnel reasons publicly could harm employees.

After a lengthy debate and heated arguments between McNealy and Patton, the board unanimously approved the reassignments.

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