Miami-Dade to determine if 27 more schools should keep operating

As enrollment continues to decline, the Miami-Dade School District is considering whether more than 20 schools should keep operating.

The school board voted to close nine schools last year, and 27 are now being evaluated to determine whether they should “remain operational,” according to the Attendance Boundary Committee. The committee released a list of schools broken into two categories — those that are “reassessed,” and those that are “under review.”

Which schools are being ‘reassessed,’ what that means

According to the definition of reassessed provided by Miami-Dade Public Schools, when schools are “reassessed,” they are evaluated to determine whether they should continue operating based on factors like student enrollment, “facility utilization” and “financial sustainability.” Reassessment indicates “that a decision has been made” to best align with the district’s goals and capital plan.

  • Brentwood Elementary
  • Carol City Middle
  • Golden Glades Elementary
  • Lake Stevens Elementary
  • Myrtle Grove Elementary
  • Lorah Park Elementary
  • Paul L. Dunbar K-8 Center
  • Center for International Education
  • Greenglade Elementary
  • Hammocks Middle
  • Kendale Elementary
  • Village Green Elementary

Which schools are ‘under review,’ what that means

Schools that are “under review” will be evaluated to determine whether their continued operations “best serve the educational, operational, and financial interests of the district and its students.” Being under review “does not mean a decision to repurpose a school has been made.”

  • Natural Bridge Elementary
  • North County K-8 Center
  • North Dade Middle
  • Emerson Elementary
  • Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center
  • Ludlam Elementary
  • Kelsey L. Pharr Elementary
  • Orchard Villa Elementary
  • Gloria Floyd Elementary
  • Lamar Louise Curry Middle
  • Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary
  • Olympia Heights
  • Riviera Middle
  • Tropical Elementary
  • South Miami Heights

Miami-Dade previously closed several schools

The schools that were set to close and/or be merged for the 2026-2027 school year include:

  • Mandarin Lakes K-8 Academy, set to close.
  • Robert Russa Moton Elementary, set to close.
  • Parkway Elementary, set to close.
  • Rainbow Park Elementary, set to close.
  • Phillis Wheatley Elementary, set to close.
  • Lenora B. Smith Elementary school, set to be combined with Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle, becoming a K-8 center.
  • Miami Springs Middle, set to be combined with Miami Springs Senior to become a 6-12 school.
  • Pine Villa Elementary School, set to be combined with Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts in order to form a K-12 school.
  • Richmond Heights Middle, set to be combined with BioTech at Richmond Heights 9-12 to form a 6-12 school.

Though most campuses of the merging schools neighbor one another, Miami Springs Middle and Miami Springs High are about a mile and a half apart.

“These schools serve some of the highest-poverty communities in Miami-Dade,” said Lissette Fernandez, co-founder of Moms for Libros, during the meeting. “The state has underfunded public schools to the point where this district is closing the schools that serve children who have the least.”…

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