Sarasota County School Board fast-tracks storm repair decisions

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - In an effort to expedite repairs, the Sarasota County School Board has authorized Superintendent Brennan Asplen to make decisions about emergency repairs without having to get school board approval.

In an emergency meeting Tuesday morning, the board unanimously approved a resolution to give Asplen that authority for 45 days. The only restriction -- Any expenditures over $100,000 will still need to be reported to the school boardl.

Asplen said it’s important to move quickly. “We have 45,000 students not in school and a variety of other urgent issues related to the storm that we have to pay for,” he said.

There was no discussion on the amount of damage school building have received or when schools may reopen. On Sept. 30, the school district announced schools would be closed indefinitely because of damage suffered during Hurricane Ian.

“There has been much devastation in our county and schools including massive power outages, down power lines, flooding, cellular and cable outages, basic water and plumbing issues, and damage to many of our school structures,” the statement said.

A news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday to discuss details of damage and when schools may reopen.

100422 Board Special Meeting by Jim DeLa on Scribd