Less than one month into the new school year, Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials are already weighing the future of more than two dozen schools ahead of the 2027–28 year.
Why it matters: The drastic increase in schools under consideration for changes, revealed last week by a district committee, underscores the district’s ongoing enrollment struggles.
- Before the 2026–27 year, which began Aug. 13, the district closed nine schools — already a big jump from the two schools that were repurposed the previous year and 11 that underwent boundary changes.
Between the lines: Public schools are funded on a per-pupil basis, so a continued decline in enrollment will mean even fewer dollars for public schools when the district has already made budget cuts.
- Earlier this month, the school board approved a roughly $7.3 billion budget, resulting in a 3.4% cut to its operating funds, multiple outlets reported.
State of play: First day of school enrollment fell by nearly 15,100 students, dropping from 230,172 last year to 215,078 this year, according to the district. (Last year, there was a drop of nearly 12,000 students.)
- By Aug. 25, nine days into the year, the district reported 217,075 students, an increase of about 2,000 students, per officials.
Yes, but: It’s expected that enrollment numbers fluctuate at the start of the school year, which is why the district conducts three counts throughout the year.
The intrigue: Charter school enrollment also fell slightly, with 85,473 students enrolled on the first day of school compared to 86,913 on the first day last year, records show…