South Florida school district proposes closing some facilities as enrollment declines

The Broward County School District announced Monday that it is considering closing some schools and repurposing others to help deal with low enrollment. Broward County houses Fort Lauderdale, the most populated city north of Miami and south of Palm Beach.

Under the proposed plan, Olsen Middle School in Dania Beach, Oakridge Elementary School in Hollywood and Broward Estates Elementary School in Lauderhill would be closed.

Three other schools are being considered for grade reconfiguration: Pines Middle, Hollywood Central Elementary and Sunland Park Academy.

While the next three are selected for a public-private partnership: Quiet Waters Elementary, Deerfield Beach Elementary and Tedder Elementary.

Dozens of schools would undergo changes that could include boundary changes, public-private partnerships, repurposing, and reconfigurations of programs and grades.

The district also presented another more aggressive plan called “Total District Realignment,” which could close 42 schools. The plan involves leaving only seats available for students currently enrolled in Broward County, which would redraw the boundaries schools and would eliminate Magnet programs, among others. This plan is not recommended by the new school superintendent, Howard Hepburn.

“This initiative is more than just a conversation. It is a collective call to action. We are committed to working with our stakeholders through this process and it is important that we work together,” said school board member Daniel Foganholi.

Once the town meetings are concluded, the debate and proposals will be presented to the school board in May. The district will make a final decision on what's next for students in June.