BUNNELL, Fla. - LaShakia Moore has officially been sworn in as the permanent superintendent of Flagler Schools, at last ending the saga that started with her predecessor's dismissal in April. Moore was appointed interim superintendent following that decision by the School Board, and then was selected for permanent superintendent in early September. Her swearing-in took place at Tuesday's regularly scheduled School Board meeting.
The relatively calm process of vetting and appointing Moore as superintendent comes as a relief, as many in the county feared a longer, more drawn out process following the firing of Cathy Mittelstadt. That process was hectic, and featured high tensions between the community and the Board. At one point School Board member Sally Hunt was shown to have discussed calling for a vote to fire Mittelstadt with a now-released administrator. The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce also lobbied greatly for Mittelstadt's firing, while most parents and faculty who spoke out were largely in support of her.
Still, Moore is a widely popular pick to helm Flagler Schools through the four years covered by her contract. She has already auditioned her skill set through multiple crises: a racially segregated assembly over elementary school test scores, the theft of over $700,000 from the district, and a massive fight at Matanzas High School that resulted in 11 student arrests. It's easy to speculate that Moore was in the spotlight more in her interim days than some superintendents are in their entire tenures.
While the segregated assembly has mostly left the forefront of public discussion, Moore is still dealing with the fallout of the theft and the brawl. One school district computer was seized by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office in their investigation of the stolen funds, and Matanzas High School's administration is facing intense scrutiny following the largest arrest of Flagler students in years.
Moore will be paid $175,000 base salary, with an annual raise of 3% written into her contract. This figure is higher than any previous Flagler Schools superintendents, but closer to their compensation when accounting for inflation. She is an internal pick, having also been a principal at Rymfire Elementary School, and then district's Director of Teaching and Learning and Assistant Superintendent. Additionally, she has experience as a teacher and curriculum specialist in the district according to her personal resume. Prior to that, Moore's education took place at Saint Leo University and Bethune-Cookman University.
