MIAMI – Thousands of new condo units are coming online in downtown Miami and some of the new projects are marketing to families. That has caught the eye of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
"It's sort of the unpredictability of what downtown will bring," said Carvalho. "We know that condos are booming. The question is, are they going to be filled with families?"
The school district has partnered with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to crunch the numbers, talk to condo associations and to evaluate what, if any, new school developments and programs are needed in downtown Miami. The district will also need to decide on the possibility of expanding current programs.
"One key program already in existence, and it's the best kept secret, is the PLC in the elementary experiences as well as iPrep High School," said Carvalho. "We already have 600 students in attendance, but the capacity will grow to about 1,200 students within a couple of years."
Essentially it all comes down to supply and demand.
"A lot of it is driven by foreign investment that does not result necessarily in students wanting to attend schools in Miami-Dade," said Carvalho. "We're going to grow organically as the downtown community grows."
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