FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County school board members held a meeting to pinpoint which schools will be shutting their doors under their plan that would see a major overhaul to the district if implemented.
Members discussed phase two of the Redefining Schools initiative which calls for several schools to either close or repurpose across the county.
So far, 34 schools have been targeted for review by school leaders. Under the proposal, the county could lose at least six elementary and middle schools.
But not everyone is on board. Tuesday, a teacher spoke out at the meeting, saying leaders should not close Glades Middle School.
“This is a school, not to close or repurpose, but to invest in,” said Christine McMahon Nebe.
Nebe told school board members that the plan would be a step back for Broward schools.
“Forcing those students back or dispersing our students amongst elementary schools will not strengthen Broward schools. It will only drive more parents to charter options, leading to further enrollment loss for the district,” she said.
The meeting came weeks after school members held eight townhalls where they heard the community’s thoughts on the proposal. District officials say this is all in an effort to deal with declining enrollment.
Compared to last school year, officials say they’ve lost nearly 10,000 students, causing a $90 million decrease in funding.
During the meeting, school board members said they’ve crunched the numbers. Closing one elementary school could save around $1.8 million. Shutting down a middle school would save the district $2.7 million, while closing one high school could free up around $4.3 million.
“We can no longer afford to fund empty, or have empty schools. We must fund students and the quality of their educational experiences. Every dollar should strengthen instruction, expand programs, and enhance the learning environments where our students thrive,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn.
School board leaders said three more regional meetings are scheduled in the coming weeks at various schools.
“We don’t take closing schools or talking about consolidation lightly. We want to insure that no matter what school our students attend in the future, it’s going to provide the best opportunity for them to learn and exceed their potential at the end of the day,” said Hepburn.
Regardless of what the school board decides to do, the impacts of their decision could be felt as early as next fall.
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