Broward School Board meets on school repurposing
FORT LAUDERDALE - During its Wednesday meeting, the Broward School Board is expected to consider how many schools should be closed or repurposed to make up for low enrollment.
The district has been analyzing ways to cut costs and which schools to close for a year. However, not everyone is happy with the proposals the school board members have in front of them.
There are two proposals under consideration.
One, from Superintendent Howard Hepburn, would shut down the low-performing Broward Estates Elementary in Lauderhill, the district's lowest-enrolled school, and convert it into an early learning center operated by local community partners.
Kristy Dorestin doesn't want Broward Estates Elementary to close. She said she walks her son to the school every morning because she doesn't drive.
"It should stay in the community for parents that don't have the means to do otherwise. If you take it out the community, that means that parent has another problem on top of another problem," she said.
Lauderhill Mayor Denise Grant said she understands the school is under-enrolled and underperforming, but she worries about the students that are there.
"We are not against a learning center coming into the school, but what we want is for the children that are there to stay there as well," she said
Hepburn also recommends that three elementary schools - Coconut Creek, Hollywood Central and Coral Cove in Miramar - be converted to K-8 schools. Pines Middle School in Pembroke Pines would become a 6-12 collegiate academy and Silver Shores Elementary in Miramar would switch from a neighborhood school to a choice school where students apply to get in.
Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco is all for making schools K-8.
"I agree that we have some schools that could be redefined, and I'm in favor if they want to move schools to K-8, the 6-12 collegiate," she said.
Fusco said she's against closures.
"If you fund them properly, you put in the right resources, you have the right leaders, it will prosper. that's the key to everything. That's 101," she said.
Community stakeholders said they will attend the meeting to oppose the closure of Broward Estates Elementary which they said is the center of their community.
The second proposal, from School Board member Allen Zeman, would take closures further. He wants to close Broward Estates Elementary and four other schools. He's proposed converting them to early learning centers run by outside agencies. He has not released a list that names the four other schools.
