Broward County Public School Board (BCPS) announced the selection of Dr. Peter Licata as its next superintendent. The country’s sixth-largest school district announced the selection after a nationwide search. Licata is set to be in place prior to the start of the 2023/24 school year. He was selected via a 7-2 board vote. East Baton Rouge Louisiana School District Superintendent Dr. Sito Narcisse received the other two votes.
BCPS Board Chair Lori Alhadeff announced the selection, saying, “I am so excited to introduce the next superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, Dr. Peter Licata. I believe he is the transformational leader that we were seeking.”
By joining BCPS, Licata is coming full circle, returning to the school district where he was once a first-grade student at McNab Elementary School in Pompano Beach.
“I’m coming home. We will change Broward County to an A (school district),” Dr. Licata said, “We are down the street from where I was born and where my wife was born.
I feel like a fortunate son to be able to do this.”
Licata began his almost 30-year career in education as a teacher and basketball coach for the School District of Palm Beach County and has continued to advance his leadership career – most recently holding the position of South Region Superintendent. In this role, he oversees 60 schools, 65,000 students, more than 5,000 teachers and four instructional superintendents.
Licata comes from a family of teachers and was inspired to pursue his career by his father.
“It was at my father’s funeral, when thousands of people came to me to say what an impact, as coach and algebra teacher, my father had on their lives. That day I became a teacher.” Licata said during his public remarks at the school board’s public interview.
Licata’s experience includes 15 years of teaching and leading at the middle and high school levels, and 14 years at the district-leadership level as Director of Secondary Curriculum and Assistant Superintendent, before becoming a regional superintendent.
“Our goal has remained to find the most qualified candidate to lead our schools while maintaining our dedication to excellence in education and to preparing our students to reach their highest potential,” Alhadeff commented. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Licata to Broward County Public Schools.”
During the interview process, the new superintendent laid out his vision to get the school system to become an ‘A’ district.
“It’s my vision and mission that every child that starts school at BCPS has an experience as memorable as mine with the same opportunities. I know being born and raised in Broward County doesn’t automatically qualify me as the best candidate, but I believe it gives me a unique perspective and knowledge of the county… Broward County is where I was born, raised, married, and I now want to make it the best educational system in all of Florida as superintendent.”
