More school closures, more changes? Broward School Board enters year three of shake-ups
South Florida Sun Sentinel | By: Scott Travis | July 20, 2026
The Broward School Board plans to kick off its latest effort to close, consolidate and change schools this week with a workshop Tuesday on its “Redefining Broward County Public Schools” initiative.
This third year of the effort could involve closing at least 10 schools, selling vacant property and moving many district staff out of the district’s K.C. Wright Administration building. In the district’s two previous phases, seven schools were closed while several others were converted from an elementary to a K-8 or a middle school to a 6-12.
The presentation included for Tuesday’s agenda doesn’t list any specific schools that could close. That’s expected to happen at an Aug. 25 meeting. Superintendent Howard Hepburn said at a recent meeting he expects more than 10 schools to close.
The document lists some criteria that will likely be used in deciding which schools to close.
These include how much it costs to operate a school and whether enrollment is below 70% and projected to stay that way over the next five years. Another factor will be the condition of the school facility and whether upgrades are cost-prohibitive. The district hired a consulting firm to assess the condition of all schools.
Board members also may discuss whether they want school closures to become an annual exercise. Board member Rebecca Thompson said at a May meeting she opposes that.
“We can’t keep closing schools every year,” Thompson said at the meeting. “I’d like to wrap this up this year so that people can heal and see our great work coming to fruition.”
The presentation also lists a number of surplus district properties that the district is in various stages of disposing.
“Staff is currently awaiting the relocation of departments from the building; thereafter, it will be marketed for sale or if directed, sell it to either Broward County or City of Sunrise,” the presentation states for each of the two buildings.
The district is also looking to sell about 2.86 acres of land at North Rock Island Road and West Sample Road adjacent to Coral Springs High. The asking price was determined to be $700,000, and the district is developing a process to accept bids, the presentation states.
The district has already leased 8.25 acres of vacant property at Sheridan Street and Northwest 190th Avenue in Southwest Ranches to the South Florida Wildlife Center. The site, once planned for a school that never opened, has an additional 20.59 acres that the district is seeking to sell for a minimum asking price of $6 million, the presentation states.
Last month, the district agreed to sell 10.14 acres of vacant property on University Drive and Trails End in Parkland to Broward Health, which plans to build an outpatient center.
The district also plans to generate revenue by leasing out some floors of the K.C. Wright Administration building. The presentation states that the superintendent, general counsel and chief auditor and their staffs will remain at the building, and the Procurement and Logistics Operations department will move there from another building that was closed.
Many other departments will share space at schools, including Miramar Elementary, Tamarac Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Elementary in Fort Lauderdale, Attucks Middle in Hollywood, Mary M. Bethune Elementary in Hollywood and Forest Glen Elementary in Coral Springs.
