Broward holds community meetings over proposed closure of 10 schools
Key Points(5)
- n another meeting with concerned community members, Broward school leaders tried to assuage their worries while acknowledging that, due to massive shortfalls in enrollment, they have no choice but to look at closing more campuses.
- The first meeting with concerned parents took place in Miramar Wednesday.
- On Thursday night, parents, students, staff and administrators gathered once more at McArthur High School in Hollywood to look at other ways the district could move forward with their “Redefining Our Schools” plan.
- “It is about giving your students the best education we can and we can not do that in a building we can’t fund ,” said Broward school board member Debbie Hixon The district faces a roughly 11,000-student shortfall every year.
- Less students in each classroom means the district receives less funding, leaving difficult financial decisions in the hands of Broward’s school board members.
Broward County Public Schools is considering closing 10 more campuses as the district grapples with a steep decline in enrollment that has left tens of thousands of classroom seats empty and reduced funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.
District leaders met with parents, students, staff and administrators at McArthur High School in Hollywood on Thursday night for the second of seven community meetings on proposals under the district’s “Redefining Our Schools” plan.
The meeting followed a similar gathering in Miramar on Wednesday and focused on possible changes affecting Hollywood Park Elementary and Oakridge Elementary.
School Board member Debbie Hixon acknowledged the difficult choices facing the district as officials seek to consolidate schools while maintaining educational opportunities for students.
“It is about giving your students the best education we can and we can not do that in a building we can’t fund,” Hixon said.
According to Broward County Public Schools, enrollment has fallen by more than 48,000 students over the past decade, resulting in more than $430 million in lost funding because school funding is tied to student enrollment.
The district now has more than 70,000 empty student seats and says it can no longer afford to operate the same number of campuses while enrollment continues to decline.
Officials say the district is facing a roughly 11,000-student shortfall each year.
The latest restructuring proposals could affect 10 schools: Silver Lakes Elementary, Dolphin Bay Elementary, Oakridge Elementary, Hollywood Park Elementary, Walter C. Young Middle, William Dandy Middle, Lloyd Estates Elementary, Banyan Elementary, Coral Springs Elementary and Forest Glen Middle.
The potential closures come after six schools were closed during the previous school year.
Under proposals discussed Thursday, Hollywood Park Elementary students could be transitioned to Boulevard Heights Elementary and West Hollywood Elementary. The district is also considering another consolidation option that would allow Hollywood Park Elementary to remain open.
Students from Oakridge Elementary could be reassigned to Colbert Elementary and Dania Elementary.
The previous community meeting, held Wednesday at Everglades High School, focused on Dolphin Bay and Silver Lakes elementary schools.
One proposal would transition students from both elementary schools into Glades Middle School and expand Glades into a K-8 campus. Sunset Lakes Elementary would also be expanded to serve students through eighth grade.
Five more community meetings are scheduled throughout September before the School Board is expected to vote on the proposed changes in December.
The next meeting is scheduled for September 14 at Coral Springs High School and will focus on Coral Springs Elementary and Forest Glen Middle School.
Under the proposal for Coral Springs Elementary, students would transition to Eagle Ridge and Parkside elementary schools.
The Forest Glen Middle proposal would involve expanding Coral Park, Forest Hills, James S. Hunt and Park Springs elementary schools through sixth grade while expanding Coral Springs High School to serve grades seven through 12.
A September 16 meeting at Lloyd Estates Elementary will consider transitioning that school’s students to Cypress and Oakland Park elementary schools.
On September 17, the district will hold a meeting at Banyan Elementary to discuss transitioning its students to Discovery and Village elementary schools.
Proposals for Walter C. Young Middle School will be discussed September 23 at Flanagan High School. One option would send students to Pines 6-12 and Silver Trail Middle School. Another would transition students to Charles W. Flanagan High School and convert it into a grades six through 12 campus.
The final scheduled meeting will be held September 24 at Dillard High School and focus on William Dandy Middle School.
Under one option, William Dandy students would transition to Parkway Middle School. Another would move Dillard’s middle school students to Parkway, return Dillard to a traditional grades nine through 12 high school and allow William E. Dandy Middle to remain open.
Broward school officials say the restructuring effort is intended to align the number of schools with the district’s shrinking student population while concentrating funding on programs, staffing and facilities rather than maintaining increasingly underused campuses.
The district began discussions on the latest round of potential closures in August and has stressed that the proposals have not yet been finalized.
The School Board is expected to consider the proposed closures and consolidations in December.
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