HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County Public School leaders are looking to hear from the public as they consider repurposing or closing several schools.
On Monday night, BCPS hosted their “Redefining Our Schools” town hall meeting, which is the first of seven town hall meetings scheduled.
It’s the first major test for new Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn, who took over after Dr. Peter Licata’s resignation in April.
“I think tonight went very well,” said Hepburn. “We got a lot of feedback from the community, feedback that we will take back into consideration as we revise our consideration before our recommendations are presented to the school board in the next week or two.”
Declining enrollment leads to some tough decisions. Three schools are considered for closure: Broward Estates Elementary in Lauderhill, Olsen Middle School in Dania Beach, and Oakridge Elementary in Hollywood.
Other schools will be repurposed, and the grade levels at others will be reconfigured. There’s also the consideration of what to do with those buildings.
“Utilize those buildings for other functions, repurpose them for office space, any local agreements, private [or] public partnerships, and many more options,” said Hepburn.
It’s the first wave of recommendations. One taxpayer said the district could have done a better job of outreach to get the most input possible.
“The meeting was called a few days ago so people couldn’t prepare,” said Siobhan McLaughlin, a Broward County resident. “Tonight is the last night of Passover, so I think that was a little inconsiderate. Even though, I’m not Jewish but that might have impacted some of our Jewish families in the community.”
The district cites population changes and increased competition from charter and private schools as major factors that have led to enrollment decreases.
On a night of challenging choices, there was a moment for some laughs during public comment.
“I was just suggesting that maybe we could increase the time of recess,” said an elementary student.
Hepburn said after the school board reviews the proposal, a final plan will be voted on in June. Then the district will use the next school year for planning and then the final plan will be implemented in the 2025-2026 school year.
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