Pearlman selected to direct school finances

The Franklin County School District has chosen a Harvard-educated attorney who turned to teaching as a second career to be its new director of financial services.

By a 3-1 vote, with Board Member Teresa Ann Martin opposed, the school board approved on Dec. 17 the choice of Jay Pearlman, 52, to succeed Sam Carnley, who retires at the end of this year. Board Member David Hinton was absent from the special meeting.

The vote was an unusual one, requiring Board Chairman Jimmy Gander to hand over the gavel to Board Member Carl Whaley in order to second the motion for Pearlman’s hiring made by Board Member George Thompson.

In the motion to approve, Gander added language that specified Pearlman would be under a 90-day probationary period, which is standard for such hirings.

“It would give everybody a basis to look at it,” he said. “I would have done it with anybody walking in here who didn’t have a background (in school finances).”

The district had hoped to hire a candidate experienced in the Florida Department of Education’s policies and procedures, but its first two choices, both from outside the area, declined to accept the position, and it was re-advertised.

Prior to the vote, Thompson questioned Carnley as to why other local candidates were passed over in the hiring process.

“There were some local people who put in for the job. It seems to me you would have dropped down to them. Is there a reason we did not look locally?” asked Thompson.

“Mr. Pearlman is local,” replied Carnley.

A native of Revere, Mass., Pearlman has invested in property on St. George Island since 2000, and has served on the board of the directors of the Plantation Owners Association. He currently rents out the house he owns on the island while he rents a place elsewhere in the county.

Carnley said one of the candidates was a certified public accountant, as is Pearlman, while another works at a local bank and another does accounting work.

“None of them had district (finance) experience,” said Carnley. “He (Pearlman) was in the system and I felt that since he was in the system, we should give him consideration for the job.”

Pearlman began the school year teaching middle school American history, but his teaching load was, as of earlier this month, to be assumed by Mike Todd, who left the dean of student discipline position to return to the classroom beginning next month.

“What stood out that he was more qualified than those other two candidates?” asked Martin.

“I can’t say he was more or less qualified than any other applicant,” replied Carnley.

“I don’t really think when we have a Harvard graduate with a law degree, and a CPA, we really could push (him away),” said Gander. “I would feel comfortable getting someone out of the Florida Department of Education finance system. I thought it would be a slam dunk with all the job cutbacks.”

Pearlman earned a bachelor of arts from Harvard College in 1978, and a law degree from New York University four years later, before practicing law in New York and Cleveland, Ohio for several years. A former assistant college basketball coach, at Bowling Green and Brooklyn College, Pearlman owned a sports production company for three years that broadcast Harvard and Northeastern college basketball games.

Whaley said he was concerned that at the time of Pearlman’s hiring as a teacher, he had maintained an out-of-state address, in Cleveland. “We want somebody long-term, who’s rooted in our community, and is more likely to stay here than leave,” he said.

Pearlman then came forward to address the board, recounting his connections to the county and stressing that this is his home, after making it his permanent residence in July. “I’ve come to love this place, not only to live here but to work in the district,” he said. “I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

Following the meeting, Martin said she based her decision to vote against Pearlman’s hiring not because of any personal opposition, but due to the fact that he already had a job with the district and that bringing in a different local person would have spread the benefit of the hiring even further.

Pearlman will be brought in on step 6 of the administrative salary schedule, and will be paid $65,808 per year.