A major lower in enrollment at Broward County Public Colleges (BCPS) has the district contemplating “powerful selections,” together with the doable closure of some establishments.
In response to BCPS Superintendent Peter Licata, faculties with low enrollment are costing Broward County an estimated $2 million to maintain open.
The district has about 60,000 empty seats, with enrollment down by 3,000 college students this yr, Licata mentioned throughout a faculty tour this week. One of many causes, he believes, is that many households have moved out of the county because of property values being too excessive.
Licata mentioned Broward Colleges doesn’t have the price range to maintain funding under-enrolled faculties.
“We’re in place. However it’s going to be a tough path just because nobody likes to listen to these items but it surely’s time to vary,” Licata mentioned.
“We don’t have any cash and we want to ensure we’re not writing checks we will’t money. … There’s a variety of good things happening. We simply don’t have the price range anymore to endure a lack of hundreds and hundreds of children yearly.”
Plans for repurposing faculties
Licata mentioned the county is contemplating all choices because it pertains to repurposing the colleges, and desires to have a plan in place by the beginning of the subsequent college yr.
A number of choices are on the desk, together with altering the grade ranges, like turning a standard elementary college right into a Okay-8 middle; altering the kind of college, akin to including magnet packages; or sectioning off components of the campus for housing.
“Possibly it’s an condo type and in addition small housing developments in addition to townhouses,” Licata mentioned. “Now we have a variety of nice concepts with that from different firms which have been in that enterprise.”
A part of the decision-making will contain Broward County residents and oldsters, who will get to state their opinions throughout city corridor conferences throughout the county. He desires to tout all choices exterior of closures.
“Every little thing’s on the desk, however nothing’s being pushed ahead till we meet with these communities,” he mentioned.
There might be three to 4 city corridor conferences for households to attend, nevertheless, they haven’t been scheduled but.
According to The Sun Sentinel, among the many faculties which might be under-enrolled by greater than 600 college students are Tamarac Elementary, McNicol Center in Hollywood, and Boyd H. Anderson Excessive in Lauderdale Lakes.
The faculties brief by greater than 900 college students embody Coral Springs Center and Stranahan Excessive in Fort Lauderdale; Parkway Center in Lauderhill is under-enrolled by greater than 1,000 college students.
Learn: BCPS Teachers Say Students That Have Failed Classes Due to COVID-19 Should be Retained
