Broward schools superintendent recommends closing 10 schools for 2027-28 academic year

Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn has finalized a recommendation to close 10 schools for the 2027-28 academic year as the district grapples with declining student enrollment.

The proposed closures affect elementary and middle schools across several Broward County communities, including Sunrise, Coral Springs, Miramar, Oakland Park, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines and Fort Lauderdale.

Under the recommendation, students at the affected schools would be reassigned to other campuses, with two existing schools slated for reconfiguration to accommodate additional grade levels.

The 10 schools recommended for closure are Banyan Elementary in Sunrise, Coral Springs Elementary, Silver Lakes Elementary and Dolphin Bay Elementary in Miramar, Lloyd Estates Elementary in Oakland Park, Oakridge Elementary and Sheridan Park Elementary in Hollywood, Forest Glen Middle in Coral Springs, Walter C. Young Middle in Pembroke Pines and William Dandy Middle in Fort Lauderdale.

Students attending Banyan Elementary would be reassigned to Discovery and Village elementary schools, while Coral Springs Elementary students would move to Parkside Elementary.

Silver Lakes and Dolphin Bay elementary students would be transferred to Glades Middle School, which would be reconfigured to serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Students from Lloyd Estates Elementary would be divided between North Andrews Gardens and Oakland Park elementary schools. Those attending Oakridge Elementary would move to Colbert Elementary, while Sheridan Park Elementary students would be reassigned to Boulevard Heights, Driftwood and Hollywood Park elementary schools.

Among the middle schools, Forest Glen students would move to Coral Springs Middle, while Walter C. Young Middle students would attend Charles W. Flanagan High School, which would be reconfigured to accommodate grades six through 12.

Students at William Dandy Middle would be transferred to Parkway Middle School. The William Dandy campus is slated to become a KIPP Miami charter school.

The recommendation follows discussions about the district's school consolidation plans as officials consider how to address declining enrollment and make use of available school capacity.

During discussions, school board member Allen Zeman proposed expanding the potential closure list to 26 schools. However, most board members showed little support for extending the list beyond the 10 schools recommended by Hepburn and the district's boundary committee.

The Broward County School Board is scheduled to hold a final vote on the proposed closures on December 15, 2026. If approved, the changes would take effect for the 2027-28 academic year.