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Broward County school board votes to repurpose under-enrolled schools

The Broward County school board has voted on Tuesday to repurpose several under-enrolled schools.

The first phase includes reconfiguring four schools to be K-8. Additionally, one school will serve 6th through 12th grades, and another will become an early learning center.
 
Broward schools have seen enrollment decline annually for years. Right now, there are about 45,000 vacancies. 
 
Officials attribute this loss to rising competition posed by charter schools, K-8 centers and fewer families with young kids moving into Broward. 
 
Superintendent Howard Hepburn and School Board Chair Debbie Hixon celebrated the proposal approvals despite pushback from Lauderhill community members who don’t want to fully repurpose Broward Estates Elementary with an early learning center that doesn't serve K-5.
 
The changes will be implemented in the upcoming school year.

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This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.

Natalie La Roche Pietri is the education reporter at WLRN.
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