The Miami-Dade school board is exploring the possibility of transforming underused school sites into early learning centers.
The initiative is an effort to give existing infrastructure a second life, as dwindling enrollment numbers in the district lead to more empty spaces in schools.
"This is not just about buildings," said Miami-Dade school board member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, who introduced the measure on Wednesday. "This is about vision. This is about leveraging opportunity."
Early learning education ranges from mere months-old babies to four year olds. Studies show it’s a period vital to setting students up for long-term academic success.
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Bendross-Mindingall vouched not only for the educational benefits of the learning centers, but also for the financial upside of not having to build the centers from zero.
"We demonstrate fiscal responsibility and economic prudence by leveraging existing infrastructure rather than embarking on costly new bills," she said, but didn't specify how much the district would be saving.
Bendross-Mindingall said at the meeting she would also like to see bilingual pre-k centers that reflect the county's diversity.
Falling enrollment in Miami-Dade district
This school year, the district had nearly 2,000 less students than last year, according to data from the Florida Department of Education. It has lost more than 20,000 students over the last decade.
With state vouchers for private education becoming more popular and accessible, parents are increasingly enrolling their kids in private schools. Charter schools have also increased competition for the district.
Schools operating below student capacity presents a financial challenge. Less students means less funding for schools, making it harder to maintain programs and upkeep infrastructure.
Miami Dade County Public Schools has reportedly drawn up plans to repurpose two schools due to under-enrollment, with a total of 11 set to undergo boundary changes.
Broward school to be transformed into early learning center
Broward County Public Schools, also facing thinning class counts, recently closed an under-enrolled Lauderhill elementary school with the intention of transforming it into an early learning center.
School board members and Superintendent Howard Hepburn discussed the dire need for head start programs in Broward during a January meeting, citing data that only about 35% of students within a five-mile radius of Broward Estates Elementary are ready for kindergarten.
The move drew community backlash, with residents favoring opening a local center but opposing the removal of the elementary grades. Students who were at Broward Estates will be at new schools next school year.
