The Brevard County (Fla.) school board has chosen a high-level administrator from the Broward County district to be its new superintendent.
The board, in a 4-1 vote, has named Desmond Blackburn as its final candidate to lead the 73,000-student district. He was selected over two other finalists--David Christiansen, chief academic officer in the Lake County (Fla.) district, and Anthony Jackson, superintendent of the Nash-Rocky Mount (N.C.) district.
Blackburn is in line to replace Brian Binggeli, who is leaving Brevard after six years in the top job for the superintendency in the Plano (Texas) district.
"Our selection today reflects characteristics we were seeking in our next superintendent," School Board Chair Amy Kneessy says in a news release. "I am truly pleased with Dr. Blackburn and look forward to the work we will complete on behalf of the students of Brevard County.”
Since 2012, Blackburn has been the chief school accountability officer for the Broward County district. He has also served in Broward as an area superintendent, area director for school improvement, middle school principal and assistant principal, and high school math teacher.
The board will begin negotiating a contract with Blackburn; it already has determined that the yearly salary for its new superintendent will not exceed $225,000.
