Broward Schools Superintendent contemplates closure of under-enrolled schools

A significant decrease in enrollment at Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) has the district considering “tough decisions,” including the possible closure of some institutions.

According to BCPS Superintendent Peter Licata, schools with low enrollment are costing Broward County an estimated $2 million to keep open.

The district has about 60,000 empty seats, with enrollment down by 3,000 students this year, Licata said during a school tour this week. One of the reasons, he believes, is that many families have moved out of the county due to property values being too high.

Licata said Broward Schools does not have the budget to keep funding under-enrolled schools.

“We are in a good place. But it’s going to be a hard path simply because no one likes to hear these things but it’s time to change,” Licata said.

“We don’t have any money and we need to make sure we’re not writing checks we can’t cash. … There is a lot of good stuff going on. We just don’t have the budget anymore to endure a loss of thousands and thousands of kids every year.”

Plans for repurposing schools

Licata said the county is considering all options as it relates to repurposing the schools, and wants to have a plan in place by the start of the next school year.

Several options are on the table, including changing the grade levels, like turning a traditional elementary school into a K-8 center; changing the type of school, such as adding magnet programs; or sectioning off parts of the campus for housing.

“Maybe it’s an apartment form and also small housing developments as well as townhouses,” Licata said. “We have a lot of great ideas with that from other companies that have been in that business.”

Part of the decision-making will involve Broward County residents and parents, who will get to state their opinions during town hall meetings across the county. He wants to tout all options outside of closures.

“Everything’s on the table, but nothing’s being pushed forward until we meet with those communities,” he said.

There will be three to four town hall meetings for families to attend, however, they have not been scheduled yet.

According to The Sun Sentinel, among the schools that are under-enrolled by more than 600 students are Tamarac Elementary, McNicol Middle in Hollywood, and Boyd H. Anderson High in Lauderdale Lakes.

The schools short by more than 900 students include Coral Springs Middle and Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale; Parkway Middle in Lauderhill is under-enrolled by more than 1,000 students.

Read: BCPS Teachers Say Students That Have Failed Classes Due to COVID-19 Should be Retained