About four years ago, Walnite Denis moved from Miami Gardens to Pembroke Pines for her daughters.
“I moved to Broward to make sure they go to a good school,” the Haitian immigrant said.
Her eldest now attends Pines Middle School at 200 Douglas Rd., and her youngest goes to Palm Cove Elementary School at 11601 Washington St. They’re both gifted students.
She loves their schools, so she raised her eyebrows in surprise when she found out this week that one of them, Pines Middle, is one of the 67 most under-enrolled public schools in Broward County, possibly meaning the school district could close it or re-purpose it in coming months. Currently, Pines Middle has the capacity for 1,769 students, but it’s missing 1,159 students — it’s operating at a measly 34.5%.
Denis is exactly the type of person Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata wants to meet, as he and his administration embark on one of the most challenging missions the school district has faced in years: close or re-purpose at least five out of its total 239 schools in the 2025-26 school year. Broward schools is currently missing about 51,000 students, and the projections are bleak.