The Monroe County School Board is expected to approve a ballot initiative today that once again asks Florida Keys voters whether their schools superintendent should be appointed rather than elected.

If the ballot language is approved, it will be the fourth time since 1976 that the question has gone to voters, who repeatedly have rejected the option of a superintendent hired by, and answering to the board. That was before this year's alleged theft and lack of financial oversight, coupled with former Superintendent Randy Acevedo's conviction on three official misconduct charges.

What happened this year may have changed the public's mind about the issue, board member Debra Walker said.

"I've always supported having an appointed superintendent," she said. "If the political climate is different now after what happened in the past year, the only evidence I have is for the first time ever, the board is unanimous in its support of it."

The board will discuss the hoops it must jump through to bring the initiative before the voters. It must ask the County Commission to put the question on the ballot, ensure the proper paperwork is filed at the Supervisor of Elections Office and figure out how to educate the public on the initiative.

If the board approves the language during its meeting at Coral Shores High School, the question will be part of the Aug. 24 statewide primary elections ballot. It will read: "Shall the superintendent of schools of Monroe County be appointed by the School Board upon expiration of the current superintendent's term?"

The term ends in November 2012.

Also on today's agenda, the board will:

• Discuss Y-Net Inc. of Melbourne, a contractor allegedly paid at least $408,000 more than its contract cap by contract administrator and Instructional Technology Director Ken St. James. Burke on Monday said co-owner Danny Yahn also subcontracted the work to unknown workers without notifying the district or School Board.

"I would have expected to have them follow the rules to notify the district and I'm kind of assuming at the moment that we do not have that," Burke said.

Any workers entering schools must be have passed criminal background checks and have proper bond insurance. Burke said St. James has been asked to identify the workers and show proof that they have been vetted for work on school property.

• Consider renewing a contract for Julie Davis, an independent accountant in Harrison County, Miss., who reviews the district's budget, account balances, payouts and incoming payments, cash receipts and monthly financial statements.

Davis, who would make $27,500 between Jan. 1 and June 30, has been criticized for not discovering instances of financial mismanagement as she reviewed the books in past years, board member John Dick said.

"It's something we've been saying for a while," Dick said. "In fact, [former Finance Director] Kathy Reitzel told me she was going to cancel this contract, but Kathy's employment ended before she could do so. We'll talk about what to do next with this contract. I'm not sure it's one we want to keep."

Board member Steve Pribramsky said he'll approve the contract long enough for Burke to create a new leadership team. The district's new chief financial officer, Michael Kineer, started work Monday. His first task will be to tighten the district's financial policies and accounting procedures.

"I'm not for yanking the job right now and leaving a black hole in the system," Pribramsky said of Davis' contract. "We need time to get the new procedures in place."

• Consider a 2009-2010 contract with the United Teachers of Monroe.

jguerra@keywsnews.com