ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — School board members narrowed their search for a new Orange County Public Schools superintendent to two people on Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

  • Search for Orange County schools superintendent cut to two people

  • The district's deputy superintendent is one of the finalists

  • The other is a regional superintendent for Palm Beach County schools

  • A final selection is expected to be decided June 28

Dr. Maria F. Vazquez, the deputy superintendent since 2018, and Dr. Peter B. Licata, regional superintendent of the South Region for the Palm Beach County School District, were moved forward as finalists for the position.

OCPS seeks to find a replacement for Dr. Barbara Jenkins, who announced her retirement in February after leading the district for more than 10 years, Jenkins plans to open the 2022-23 school year with the district and officially retire in December.

Orange County School Board members reviewed written and video answers posed to the semifinalists before making their decision. The Florida School Boards Association, which is coordinating the search, facilitated the board's discussion about the remainder of the process, including interview schedules and public interview questions. 

Vazquez and Licata will be brought in for public, in-person interviews June 21. A meet-and-greet event that is open to the public will follow those interviews that same evening, and people who attend will be asked to provide their feedback on each finalist.

On June 22, board members will meet individually with each candidate for in-depth questioning.

The school board plans to vote to select the next superintendent June 28 at its board meeting after hearing public comment.

Once the selection is made, contract negotiations will begin, and a contract is expected to be completed by mid- or late July.

Work sessions are live-streamed on the school board’s YouTube channel and will be accessible from web browsers on computers or mobile devices.