Miami-Dade school board unanimously votes to close multiple schools, redraw boundaries

MIAMI — Miami-Dade Public School Board members voted unanimously to move forward with a major overhaul that includes the closure of multiple schools and the establishment of new school boundaries.

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The vote comes as the district faces a new reality — for the first time in generations, there are more school seats than actual students. District leaders cited declining enrollment and changing demographics as reasons they had no choice but to re-evaluate how some school buildings are being utilized.

“It is never an easy decision to consolidate schools, but when done properly it benefits our students,” said Robert Alonzo, Miami-Dade School Board District 4.

Nine schools are set to be closed and/or repurposed, including Miami Springs Middle School, Richmond Heights Middle and Lorna Smith Elementary, among others.

“We’re not seeing those numbers coming in, we have also seen a decline in birth rate, we are just not seeing that many students within our communities,” Alonzo said.

But parents and community activists who spoke out at Wednesday’s school board meeting say changes in immigration policy are partially to blame for the drop in enrollment.

“I also want to urge the board recognized how concerns around immigration enforcement have impacted school enrollment in our district,” said community activist Luna Plaza.

Others warned the closures carry consequences beyond just numbers.

“School closures affect far more than enrollment numbers, they affect families, local businesses, property values and the overall stability of our communities,” said community activist Cassie Creed.

Still, there were those who pushed back on the closures themselves, saying those schools make up the fabric of their community. But district leaders say the changes can only benefit students, and they pledged not to leave any community without the resources it needs.

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“We are never going to leave a community that is going to be underserved or not having the resources that they are going to need — our goal is to provide the best education that they can receive,” Alonzo said.

Students from closed schools will join others that continue to operate as the district consolidates buildings and facilities, with leaders saying the move is necessary to maintain quality.

“It’s something that we have to do in order to continue to provide our students with the best services out there and the best facilities,” Alonzo said.

As for what happens to the now-vacant properties, the district says that will vary on a case-by-case basis.

Below is the list of the closures:

North Region:

• Parkway Elementary

• Rainbow Park Elementary

Central Region:

• Lenora B. Smith Elementary

• Miami Springs Middle

• Phillis Wheatley Elementary

South Region:

• Mandarin Lakes K-8 Academy

• Pine Villa Elementary

• Richmond Heights Middle

• Robert Russa Moton Elementary

Below are the combinations:

Central Region:

• Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School and Lenora B. Smith Elementary School will combine to become a K-8 Center.

• Miami Springs Middle School and Miami Springs Senior High School will combine to become a 6-12 School.

South Region:

• Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts and Pine Villa Elementary School will combine to become a K-12 School.

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• Richmond Heights Middle and BioTech 9-12 will combine to become a 6-12 School.