FORT LAUDERDALE – During its Wednesday meeting, the Broward School Board is expected to consider and vote on 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.
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.
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 it further. He wants to close Broward Estates Elementary and four other schools. He’s proposing converting them to early learning centers run by outside agencies. He has not released a list that names the four other schools.
