Today's special School Board meeting was called for one purpose: to vote on whether to continue employment contracts for a handful of people. The agenda has changed, and not to the liking of some board members.

Board member Debra Walker two days ago inserted a new contract for Deputy Superintendent Mike Henriquez. If Walker gets her way, Henriquez would get a one-year contract for a new position called "executive director of instruction/curriculum." She visualizes the position as a right-hand man to the person the governor appoints to fill in for suspended Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo's job as he awaits the outcome of his official misconduct trial.

Walker did not return The Citizen's calls seeking comment by deadline Wednesday.

Walker's explanation for the new position, included with her recommendation that Henriquez get the new job, argues that an interim superintendent will need Henriquez to show him the ropes.

"There will be no educational administrator left in the district office to work with the interim superintendent," Walker wrote. "The [interim superintendant] appointee will need to coordinate with someone having local knowledge of the district."

Board members John Dick and Steve Pribramsky argue that Walker's agenda item is not part of the board's previously agreed-to agenda, and that she can't create new positions without going through the proper procedures.

"This is a special meeting to do one thing," Pribramsky said. "We agreed last Tuesday that we'd exclusively talk about the people who were given nine-day contracts to find cuts to save their salaries. We are meeting to decide just on those things and nothing else."

Walker also may have broken rules that require agenda items be linked for public review at least seven days before the meeting at which they'll be discussed, Dick said. Walker also can't create a job position and fill it with someone she picks.

"I want to knock her recommendation for Mike off the agenda because it's illegal," Dick said. "A board member is trying to create a new position without advertising the position and interviewing candidates for the job."

Walker, who introduced rules two weeks ago requiring the district to advertise all job vacancies and interview candidates before filling them, is not following her own rules, Dick said.

"It's ridiculous," he said. "She requested we start advertising and interviewing for all jobs. She wants to break her own rule, immediately."

Pribramsky sent a letter to all board members asking them to take Walker's recommendation off the agenda and schedule it for later in the month. He also asked board attorney Richard Collins and district lawyer Dirk Smits to recommend to board members that the item can't be discussed because it wasn't linked for public inspection on the school system Web site.

Pribramsky and board Chairman Andy Griffiths won't be at the meeting, but Griffiths plans to vote by phone if other board members vote to allow him to do so. Walker, who was in Belize last week, joined the board meeting by phone.

When board members aren't present, the board can pass items on the agenda with a simple majority.

Pribramsky won't join the meeting by phone or any other method, he said.

There's another hitch to Walker's plan. Because it would have been illegal for Henriquez to recommend himself for another year as deputy superintendent, the board last week voted to extend his contract for 30 days. After 30 days, the board could then nominate him for another year. The board also could let the interim superintendent decide his future.

By putting Henriquez up for a Walker-created position, she hoped to supersede the 30-day wait to assure him a position before then, other board members said.

The board meets at 10 a.m. in Key West.

jguerra@keysnews.com