FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The controversial item on school closures was on Tuesday’s Broward County School Board’s agenda as “Redefining Our Schools.” School Board members passed it 7-2 to pave the way for closing at least five public schools.
The item did not name the schools. It “directs the superintendent to expand programmatic options at the districts’ schools, to recommend the closure of a minimum of 5 schools, and to develop a plan to attract students back” to Broward County Public Schools for the 2025-26 school year.
Superintendent Howard Hepburn said they have been “using the equity lens” during the process to make sure one group of students is not taking the brunt of all of these changes.
“In an area, you could potentially have a few schools that have been underfunded as far as capital projects and things like that, and so if you have a couple of schools in that cluster, and you close one, the proceeds from that one school closure could help to improve the campus aesthetics and address any capital projects that were deferred over the years,” Hepburn said.
The measure is meant to address the declining student enrollment affecting budgets. The district aims to finish the list of schools that will close by September.
In a memo, officials reported that 48 out of the 66 schools operating at 70% or less capacity could absorb additional students without causing widespread boundary changes.
There was a mention of 37 elementary schools and 11 middle schools. There were no high schools. To select the five, the district will consider the historical significance, the condition of the facilities, and the school’s performance.
Closing one elementary school could save the district $1.8 million, and closing a middle school could save $2.7 million. High schools were not an option.
Hepburn said the school district plans to welcome community and stakeholder engagement and input during the process. He did not discount the possibility of more school closures in the future if the trend continues.