A former Monroe County School District administrator whose contract was not renewed for next year is fighting to get his job back.

Mark Hooper, who served as career education director under former Superintendent Randy Acevedo, says he was unfairly let go at the end of the school year when the district decided not to renew his teaching contract.

He'll argue his case before an administrative law judge in August.

Hooper argues in his complaint that he has a professional service contract and that he can only be fired for cause. The school district says he hasn't met the requirements to hold such a contract.

Professional service contracts provide teachers with tenure, offering some protection from firing.

"There is an issue about the legality of his PSC status," Superintendent Joseph Burke said Monday. "As an annual teacher, his contract was not renewed."

Under state employment rules, supervisors can offer professional service contracts only after a teacher has taught for at least three years.

Burke believes that Hooper, who taught construction for a year at Marathon High School before becoming the head of the district's Career Education Department, had not been a classroom teacher for at least three years. Hooper organized students under a Florida Architectural, Construction and Engineering Mentor Program grant in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys. The program was designed to train students in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work and other skills.

Holly Hummel, the vice president of the teachers union, United Teachers of Monroe, will help represent Hooper at his Aug. 9 administrative hearing.

"Mr. Hooper taught students in the three high schools simultaneously as a teacher on special assignment during the years he was head of Career Education," Hummel said. "He was still technically a teacher even though he wasn't serving in one school."

The School Board already has renewed Hooper's annual professional service contract several times, Hummel argued.

In 2009, Hooper lost his Career Education position after a forensic investigator determined he'd used his school district credit card to buy $18,114.64 worth of tools from Sears without proper documentation or authorization. He has not been accused of any criminal action.

The Adult Education Department -- once headed by Monique Acevedo -- and the Career Education Department are now combined under a single coordinator, Jeff Arnott.

Following criticism for failure to properly document spending, Hooper was moved into a counselor position at the Keys Center Academy at Marathon High School.

jguerra@keysnews.com