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Hernando Today

Hernando Superintendent Gets Married

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: August 12, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Hernando schools superintendent Wayne Alexander got married last week, but he's not talking.

Alexander, 47, who returned from a weeklong vacation Monday, confirmed that he was married a week ago. However, he's remaining tight-lipped about his new bride.

"That's a personal thing," he said, refusing to divulge his wife's name or occupation.

A former Connecticut administrator who came to the district a year ago, is the first superintendent in Hernando County in more than 20 years whose spouse does not work for the district.

She can't - it's against the rules.

Due to past issues with perceived spousal favoritism, the school board added an anti-nepotism clause to Alexander's contract that prevents him from having any family members, including a spouse, working for the district.

Alexander would not say whether or not his wife is in the education field. However, he said she would not be working for the district.

"Of course not," he said. "That's against my contract."

The school board created the new rule last year because superintendents' spouses have historically been a sore subject among teachers and staff.

The list is long, including prior Superintendent Wendy Tellone's husband, who worked as principal of Chocachatti Elementary School, and Superintendent John Sanders, whose wife worked as a guidance counselor at Springstead High School.

Prior to that, Superintendent Harold Winkler's wife taught at a district elementary school, and the previous superintendent's wife worked at the district office.

Longtime school board member Jim Malcolm recalled that even though Tellone and her husband made sure to separate all of their work affairs - she never evaluated him, for example - rumors still flew about favoritism.

"From the school board's perspective, it has always been a hassle," he said.

However, it's now in writing. If Alexander's wife did want to apply for a job with the district, he would have to request an amendment to his contract that would allow her to be hired, then bring it before the board for a vote.

Two months ago, board members extended Alexander's contract by two years.

Malcolm said he personally would be opposed to such an amendment, and fellow longtime board member and chair Sandra Nicholson agreed.

"We put that in for a good reason, and it just saves a lot of confusion and problems down the road," she said.

Alexander has three children, and would not say whether he is a new stepparent.

And while no one else knows anything about Alexander's new bride, Malcolm has actually met her.

By coincidence, he was on the same flight as the newlyweds from Providence, R.I., last Sunday. Before that, Alexander had previously mentioned to Malcolm that he would be flying north to get married, but that's it, he said.

"It was so ironic," he said, on running into them at the airport.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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