Proposal lists 34 Broward schools ‘to be addressed’ as enrollment declines
By Scott Travis
A new effort to grapple with dwindling enrollment in Broward schools could impact 34 schools, some of which may be recommended for closure.
The School Board is scheduled to hold a workshop on Tuesday to discuss Phase 2 of “Redefining Broward County Public Schools,” an initiative created to eliminate empty seats in the district, either through increasing enrollment or closing or consolidating schools.
The first phase, which took effect this school year, resulted in one elementary school closing, four elementary schools becoming K-8 schools and one middle school becoming a 6-12 school.
Phase 2 looks to be more aggressive, with three high schools, 15 middle schools and 16 elementary schools recommended “to be addressed” in an upcoming boundary process, according to a presentation attached to the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. That could mean anything from an expansion to closure.
The district has been looking to “right-size” for the past two years as student enrollment has plummeted about 35,000 over the last decade, and the district has about 45,000 empty seats. The declines have been attributed to increased school choice options, including charter schools and private school vouchers, as well as lower birth rates and an exodus of families due to Broward’s high cost of living.
While previous attempts to close schools were criticized for focusing mainly on Fort Lauderdale and the southern part of the county, this latest effort includes schools from all over the county, including Coral Springs, Margate, Sunrise and Plantation.
The presentation doesn’t cite any specific action planned for any of the schools on the list.
“In the presentation, the inclusion of schools does not mean they are being closed,” district spokesman John Sullivan said. “Redefining is about ensuring students have the best opportunities for success. While school closures may be one option, so is the possibility of introducing new educational experiences.”
District officials said they will hold meetings with affected communities to get input before any final decisions are made. Any changes could start in the 2026-27 school year or later.
Most of the schools on the list meet the district’s definition of underenrolled, which is enrollment below 70% of its capacity. However, the list includes some schools that don’t meet the district’s guidelines for closing. This includes Ramblewood Middle and Sawgrass Springs Middle in Coral Springs and Silver Trail Middle in Pembroke Pines, which are all close to 80% full.
The three schools “may serve as potential solutions to address underenrollment in their surrounding areas and could also receive additional students if necessary,” Sullivan said.
Ramblewood and Sawgrass Springs are included as part of a cluster of schools in the northern part of the county that the district plans to review. The other schools are underenrolled: Coral Springs Middle (52%), Forest Glen Middle (64%) and Margate Middle (67%).
The inclusion of Margate Middle, which only recently fell below the 70% threshold, alarmed Board member Nora Rupert, who represents the school.
“I’m afraid of what that conversation is in the community now, because people are frightened,” she said. “People are thinking their school’s closing. They’re just starting the new year.”
She sent a note to district staff asking why it was included.
“Margate Middle School is being included in community conversations in the Redefining Our Schools 2025-2026 process due to low and decreasing enrollment,” the district response said. “It is one of several adjacent under-enrolled middle schools in the northwest region of Broward County. Clusters of under-enrolled schools represent opportunities for regional strategies designed to increase student enrollment.”
Rupert said the school, which is the only middle school in Margate, has been making academic gains, and she will fight to ensure it stays open.
There are three high schools on the list, Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale High in Hallandale Beach and Plantation High. Hallandale and Plantation are about 65% full, while Stranahan is at 56%. However, district officials have said they don’t expect to close any high school because there isn’t enough nearby capacity to absorb the students.
But the list also includes some schools that could be considered for closure, due to being severely underenrolled. These include Silver Lakes Elementary in Pembroke Pines (41%), Panther Run Elementary in Pembroke Pines (44%), Walker Elementary in Fort Lauderdale (47%), Thurgood Marshall Elementary in Fort Lauderdale (45%), Miramar Elementary (44%), Palm Cove Elementary in Pembroke Pines (45%) and McNicol Middle in Hollywood (47%).
Superintendent Howard Hepburn has said he will recommend some schools for closure, but he hasn’t said which ones or how many. Two years ago, board members discussed the possibility of closing five. A former superintendent recommended closing three, but that was reduced to one, Broward Estates Elementary in Lauderhill, following public backlash.
Board members Maura Bulman and Rebecca Thompson, who represent schools in the low-enrolled southern part of the county, have been skeptical of closing schools and have preferred the district focus on taking steps to boost enrollment. But as enrollment continues to decline, both told the South Florida Sun Sentinel they are keeping an open mind about possible options.
“Of course, I have concerns about closing schools,” said Thompson, who represents the southwest part of the county. “However, I do think there are some factors that we need to consider that I don’t think can get better. For example, the high cost of living in South Florida is causing families to move out.”
She said she has friends who have left due to affordability concerns.
“Obviously, there’s nothing the School Board can really do about that,” she said. “As far as the plans, I’m looking forward to what is discussed on Tuesday.
Bulman, who represents the southeast part of Broward, said she still sees closing schools as “a last resort,” but she said it may be necessary, especially for schools in a state of disrepair.
“I think we’re at the point where we have to make some tough decisions to reduce our footprint and right-size the district,” she said. “I’m hoping with this set of circumstances we have right now, we can find some opportunities to make things better for the students and for their experience.”
Board member Allen Zeman who has been the board’s biggest proponent of closing schools, said he’d like to close about 36 schools, maybe 12 a year over three years.
Zeman argues the savings from closing and then selling schools could be used to improve education in the remaining schools. He said he also supports building some new schools to serve students from several closed schools, which could help allay concerns about closing schools.
“There’s nothing more exciting than a brand new school,” he said. “If we could build four or five new schools a year, that would be ideal.”
Several other board members say they like the idea of consolidating some schools into a new facility.
“We do want to be an attractive option and to be up to date on the most cutting-edge educational tools and programs,” Bulman said. “I think that there’s a way we can do this and end up on the other side of it with a better, stronger school district. But it’s not going to happen without having to make some tough decisions to get to that point.”
Here is the full list of schools that the district says could be affected by the second phase of the “Redefining Broward County Public Schools” effort.
— Attucks Middle, Hollywood
— Bair Middle, Sunrise
— Bennett Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Chapel Trail Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Coral Springs Middle
— Dolphin Bay Elementary, Miramar
— Fairway Elementary, Miramar
— Forest Glen Middle, Coral Springs
— Glades Middle, Miramar
— Hallandale High, Hallandale Beach
— Lakeside Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Margate Middle
— McNicol Middle, Hollywood
— Miramar Elementary
— New Renaissance Middle, Miramar
— North Fork Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— North Side Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Olsen Middle, Dania Beach
— Palm Cove Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Panther Run Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Pines Lakes Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Plantation Middle
— Plantation High
— Ramblewood Middle, Coral Springs
— Sawgrass Springs Middle, Coral Springs
— Silver Trail Middle, Davie
— Stranahan High, Fort Lauderdale
— Sunset Lakes Elementary, Miramar
— Sunshine Elementary, Miramar
— Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Walker Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Walter C. Young Middle, Pembroke Pines
— Watkins Elementary, Pembroke Park
— Westpine Elementary, Sunrise