District leaders consider closing 4 Miami-Dade schools

MIAMI — On Wednesday, Miami-Dade School Board members discussed the possibility of a major change that could affect thousands of students: closing some schools.

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It’s part of a proposal aimed at overhauling how the district handles school boundaries, school choice and future school planning.

The discussion comes as Miami-Dade County Public Schools faces a new reality. For the first time in generations, the district now has more school seats than students.

District leaders say declining enrollment and changing demographics are forcing them to re-evaluate how school buildings are being used.

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Four schools are currently under consideration for closure: Lenora Braynon Smith Elementary School, located at 4700 NW 12th Ave. in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood; Miami Springs Middle School, located at 150 S. Royal Poinciana Blvd.; Pine Villa Elementary School, located at 21799 SW 117th Court in the unincorporated Goulds area; and Richmond Heights Middle School, located at 15015 SW 103rd Ave. in the unincorporated area of the same name.

Board member Luisa Santos, who is sponsoring the planning item, said the board’s goal is to make future school planning decisions more transparent and give families more input before changes are made.

“For 45 years we’ve had a method for families to participate when any kind of school closures, mergers, or even school openings are going to happen. But our landscape has changed completely,” she said. “Sixty-five-percent of students are not attending their neighborhood school. They’re attending a magnet or a choice program. And so we have to modernize the process. And that’s what we’re doing. We brought an item to modernize timelines and make sure that we take into account the realities of students and families today.”

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No final action will be taken until a full school board meeting next Wednesday.