Miami-Dade public schools top financial officer to leave for Barry University

Miami-Dade schools’ top financial official is leaving for a similar role at a nearby private university.

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Ron Steiger, Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ chief financial officer, is set to become CFO and Vice President of Business and Finance at Barry University, the school announced Tuesday. He begins his new role Aug. 10.

Steiger told the Herald in an interview that he loved his 20 years at the school district, the last nine of which were as chief financial officer. He added that his departure was more about the allure of the position at Barry, a private Catholic University with an enrollment of about 4,600 undergraduate students, than any desire to move on from the district.

“Being probably the highest performing urban district in the entire country year-over-year, it has been amazing. [His departure] is not about any of the things that are going on at MDCPS or any of the big topics that we’ve had to deal with. This is really just a story about Barry, and I’m not leaving MDCPS for any reason other than I have an opportunity to go to one of the premier higher ed institutions as their CFO. It’s a really exciting opportunity,” Steiger said.

Steiger’s role at Barry will remain operational, not academic.

“The core of the job is the same, which is your role is to make sure that the business and finance functions of these major educational enterprises are are are working well and not separate and apart from the rest of the institution, but embedded into its core,” Steiger said.

One of Steiger’s recent assignments at the county’s public school system has been to make recommendations to help the district mange its declining enrollment — cited reasons include declining birthrates, decreased rates of immigration and increased school choice via universal private school vouchers.

Last school year, enrollment at traditional public schools fell by 13,000 students; this year, Steiger projected the district’s enrollment to drop by another 8,000.

The district has responded to those issues by seeking to find efficiencies, cut costs and closing a handful of schools.

According to a recent presentation to the board delivered by Steiger, about 96% of district spending goes toward “school level services.” That puts Miami-Dade in a league of its own when it comes to “efficiency,” Steiger said at the time.

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School closures, he said, are largely a result of the district and board sticking to the . That plan calls for most school campuses to have a utilization rate of 80%.

“It’s not about closing schools or reorganizing or restructuring — whatever term you want to use. It’s none of that. It’s simply following the strategic mission of ‘We need to have a utilization rate of 80%,’ because that’s what the community and the board said,” Steiger said.

A native of Dade County, Steiger said another factor in his decision to take the role at Barry was his awareness of the school as “one of the great higher ed institutions in all of Florida.”

Superintendent Jose Dotres, in a statement, lauded Steiger and said the district was “grateful for his years of advocacy and leadership.”

“Ron Steiger’s impact on Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) comes down to a clear focus on financial transparency and a genuine dedication to our students and staff. During more than two decades of service, culminating as Chief Financial Officer, Ron built a solid financial foundation for M-DCPS. He truly put classrooms first, ensuring that 96% of our budget went directly into school-level services,” Dotres wrote.

Barry University President Mike Allen struck a similar note in a statement.

“Ron brings the kind of financial leadership that is in line with Barry University’s vision as we continue to plan for the future with innovation and purpose. He has earned trust across South Florida by bringing clarity to complex issues and keeping the needs of the community at the center of his work. He will be an outstanding addition to our dynamic leadership team at Barry,” Allen said.

Margarita Betancourt, the district’s treasurer, is set to be appointed as Steiger’s replacement on an interim basis. Her appointment is pending approval by the school board as part of at the board’s July 22 meeting.

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