MIAMI – The arrest of Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla on corruption charges is now having ripple effects at the Miami-Dade County School Board.
Board member Lucia Baez-Geller told Local 10 News she’s seeking a report from the district’s staff and inspector general after law enforcement officials alleged the District 1 commissioner sidelined a plan to help a public school expand after he began secretly taking in tens of thousands of dollars from the owners of a controversial private school.
That private school is Centner Academy, owned by wealthy couple David and Leila Centner, who haven’t been charged in the case.
Authorities alleged that attorney William Riley Jr., the District 1 commissioner’s co-defendant, “controlled a bank account in the name of a Delaware-based corporation to launder approximately $245,000 in concealed political contributions made by a management services company” in exchange for permission to build a $10 million athletic complex for Centner Academy at Miami’s Biscayne Park.
The park, located at 150 NE 19th St., is described in an arrest warrant as “one of the largest remaining undeveloped tracts of land in Miami’s urban core.”
Before Diaz de la Portilla came to office in 2019, there was a plan for the land that included helping provide expanded educational space and green space to public school students at iPrep Academy, as well as affordable housing for teachers.
“Since I was elected, we were always made aware of this project and that it would be very beneficial to our students, especially those in the urban core, who really needed something where they can live, learn, and play in the same area, and so we were all very excited about this,” Baez-Geller said. “Our residents from Brickell and downtown would have been able to enroll in this expanded iPrep.”
Prosecutors allege the iPrep plan got sidelined after Diaz de la Portilla took over the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency. Former Commissioner Ken Russell said the plan “never saw the light of day” after the 58-year-old Diaz de la Portilla took over.
Diaz de la Portilla and Riley deny any wrongdoing.
“It is very unfortunate that there might have been, there are allegations of undue influence and inappropriate actions, because this was certainly a disservice to the community,” Baez-Geller said.
She said there was “a deadline we were not able to meet because of, unfortunately, maybe some undue influence.”
Daniel Martinez, an iPrep father of three, expressed anger over the whole situation.
“It is just not fair,” Martinez said. “When I initially entered this school, I had the hopes that they were going to be expanding and that we would have, you know, quality facilities.”
Another parent said: “When I enrolled (my child) at iPrep, I was told by an excited staffer that there were plans to expand the school in the area, and it got me so excited because the school needs it badly.”
“We discuss this all the time about not knowing what happened,” added another.
Local 10 News reporter Christina Vazquez asked Baez-Geller whether the deal might come back to the table.
“We want to put our students first and I am hoping to start some conversations so that way we can move something forward,” she said.
A memorandum from Superintendent Jose Dotres, dated Wednesday, says that district administrators “will provide follow-up information to the Board and will bring forth a Board item that will launch important due diligence steps as we prepare to refine our development strategy for the SBAB (School Board Administration Building) properties in light of these recent developments.”
School board Chair Mari Tere Rojas said, “District Administration is currently reviewing the recent developments at the City of Miami and the Omni CRA, and the parties are evaluating what the current options may be, in light of the recent revelations.”
Meanwhile, in a statement, Miami District 2 City Commissioner Sabina Covo said, “I look forward to clear options the City can do legally and opportunities with the School system. Once we have clear legal guidance through the City Attorney, I will engage in conversations with our school board member and superintendent on best options to serve residents in the neighborhood as strong public schools is paramount.”
School board memorandum: