New Brevard superintendent starts job in August with salary of $210,000

Mark Mullins to become superintendent Aug. 11

Mark Mullins

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Although Mark Mullins sat on the dais during Tuesday morning’s school board meeting — filling in for Superintendent Desmond Blackburn as he usually does when Blackburn is away on business — he’ll have to wait till Aug. 11 to fully take over the position as superintendent of Brevard Public Schools.

The school board approved Mullins’ superintendent contract Tuesday, which states that Mullins will be “superintendent designee” until Aug. 11, reports News 6 partner Florida Today.

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Blackburn’s last day, before he starts his new job as chief executive officer of the education nonprofit New Teacher Center, will be the first day of school Aug. 10. Until then, Blackburn will continue to serve as superintendent.

Over the next month as superintendent designee, Mullins will “devote his full time and best efforts to studying the conditions of and matters pertinent to the district and shall develop plans for continued operations and improvement thereof” during what the school board is calling a “transition period.”

The contract, which goes through June 30, 2021, also states Mullins will be paid a base salary of $210,000 – the same salary Blackburn started at when he came to the district three years ago. Blackburn currently makes $220,500 after receiving a 5 percent raise last summer.

Mullins currently makes $127,610 as COO.

During the monthlong transition period, Mullins will receive the superintendent salary.

Going forward, Mullins will be eligible for raises. Like it was written into Blackburn’s contract, Mullins will receive the same raises as 12-month administrative staff as long as he receives favorable evaluations from the school board. If 12-month employees do not receive a raise, neither will Mullins, according to the contract.

Unlike Blackburn’s contract, Mullins’ contract states he will be eligible for a $2,000 annual, recurring bonus if he earns a certification through the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and a $3,000 to $7,500 annual, recurring bonus if he earns a "chief executive officer leadership development certificate" from the association.

The school board will also provide a district vehicle for Mullins as it did for Blackburn and his predecessors, which he may use for personal trips within the county. The board will provide gas, maintenance and insurance for the vehicle.

Although the contract is for three years, it can be terminated before then as long as Mullins gives 90 days notice.

A few new provisions were also written into Mullins’ contract, likely inspired by experiences the school board had with Blackburn.

The contract states that Mullins must inform the school board if he plans to apply for a new job within three days of doing so. Blackburn announced he would resign from his superintendent job for the CEO position at New Teacher Center in May, leaving the school board about three months to find a new superintendent. Blackburn later told FLORIDA TODAY he was approached by a search firm filling the position in December 2017.

The contract also states that Mullins must inform the school board of any investigations, lawsuits or “traffic infraction/warnings” brought against him. Blackburn was pulled over and given a warning in March for illegally passing a school bus during school bus safety week. The incident was first reported by FLORIDA TODAY in April during Blackburn’s latest evaluation, some board members voiced frustration over not being informed of the incident beforehand.

Mullins was chosen to replace Blackburn in a somewhat unconventional fashion. Board members did not hire a search firm to lead a nationwide search as it has done with superintendents past and made it clear they would ideally like to hire an internal candidate to continue Blackburn’s vision. The board received applications from 12 prospective candidates, including Mullins, but decided to hire Mullins without interviewing anyone.

Mullins has worked for Brevard Public Schools since 1994. He started as a math teacher at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High and rose through the ranks as an assistant principal of Southwest Middle School and Palm Bay High School and then the principal of the now closed Clearlake Middle School. For six years, he oversaw the 29 schools and principals in the south part of the county as an area superintendent.

As chief operating officer, Mullins oversees staff and budgets for the district's transportation services, food and nutrition services, purchasing and warehouse services and school security.

Mullins said it was “surreal” to sit on the dais and recommend teachers for open administrator positions, an experience he said he remembers going through almost 20 years ago.


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