Broward school board to review boundary changes, closures proposals. What to know
Broward County Public Schools will take a major step toward deciding the fate of several under-enrolled schools as the School Board reviews proposals that could reshape boundaries and close multiple campuses beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
The workshop, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, at the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Building in Fort Lauderdale, is focused on determining which recommendations from the district’s School Boundary Advisory Committee will advance to final rulemaking in January.
It’s the most consequential public meeting to date in the district’s “Redefining Our Schools” Phase 2 process, a large-scale county effort launched last year to cut costs and shrink Broward’s footprint as student enrollment continues to dwindle.
The 50-member boundary advisory committee, composed of parents, school representatives and community stakeholders, last met on Dec. 2. Their votes are advisory and not binding.
According to the Sun Sentinel, the boundary committee decided that the majority of schools targeted for closure next year should stay open at their meeting.
They asked the School Board to keep open five of the eight schools being proposed for closure: Glades Middle in Miramar, Walter C. Young Middle in Pembroke Pines, Panther Run Elementary in Pembroke Pines, North Fork Elementary in Fort Lauderdale and Bair Middle in Sunrise.
The proposals, labeled as “recommended” by the committee, include 1, 3, 7b, and 10, all of which affect schools in Miramar and Pembroke Pines.
They recommended closing three schools: Plantation Middle, Sunshine Elementary in Miramar and Palm Cove Elementary in Pembroke Pines.
Students at Sunshine would attend nearby Fairway Elementary, while students at Palm Cove would attend either Pines Lakes Elementary or Lakeside Elementary, both in Pembroke Pines.
Schools in Coral Springs are addressed through proposed programmatic changes rather than boundary or closure changes.
Also on the agenda for the Dec. 8 workshop is the district’s five-year student enrollment forecasts for 2026-27 through 2030-31, presented by the Demographics & Enrollment Planning Department. These projections help the district plan for school capacity, attendance zones and programs such as school choice or specialized education.
The forecast shows enrollment is expected to slowly decline from 182,841 students next year to 162,096 by 2030-31. Factors contributing to the decline include the growth of charter schools, school choice vouchers, virtual schooling options and high housing costs in South Florida.
Proposals
Here is the full list of proposals, including the school closures and boundary changes, that the committee considered:
Proposal 1: Move 343 in-boundary students attending Sunshine Elementary to Fairway Elementary. Sunshine would be transitioned to another district use. Passed 45-5.
Proposal 2: Move 224 in-boundary students attending Panther Run Elementary to Chapel Trail Elementary. Panther Run Elementary campus would be transitioned to another district use. Failed 37-13.
Proposal 3: Move 149 in-boundary students attending Palm Cove Elementary to Lakeside Elementary, and 138 in-boundary students attending Palm Cove will be moved to Pines Lakes Elementary, beginning in 2026-27. Palm Cove campus will be transitioned to another district use. Passed 40-9.
Proposal 4: Move all 263 in-boundary students attending North Fork Elementary to Walker Elementary. North Fork would be transitioned to another use. Failed 43-7.
Proposal 4A: Move 155 in-boundary students attending North Fork Elementary to Walker Elementary, 26 in-boundary students attending North Fork to Thurgood Marshall Elementary, 33 in-boundary students attending North Fork to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, and 49 in-boundary students attending North Fork to Croissant Park Elementary beginning in 2026-27. North Fork campus will be transitioned to another use. Failed 28-22.
Proposal 5: Reconfigure Coconut Palm, Dolphin Bay, Silver Lakes and Sunset Lakes elementary schools as K-8 schools. Transportation will be provided to all in-boundary students in grades K-8. All grades K-8 will be served beginning in 2026-27. Coral Cove Academy of the Arts will serve all grades K-8 in 2026-27. Failed 30-20.
Proposal 6: Move all 569 in-boundary students attending Glades Middle to New Renaissance Middle, or parents can choose a K-8 school. Glades Middle would be transitioned to a branch campus of Sheridan Technical College. Failed 43-6.
Proposal 7: Move 75 in-boundary students attending Walter C. Young Middle and living west of I-75 to Silver Trail Middle, and 351 Walter C. Young students living east of I-75 to Pines Collegiate Academy 6-12. Walter C. Young Middle campus would be transitioned to another district use or turned over to the city of Pembroke Pines, which owns the campus. Failed 38-11.
Proposal 7A: Reconfigure Walter C. Young Middle as a third through eighth grade dual language/gifted school serving southwestern Broward County. Failed 36-13.
Proposal 7B: Move 75 in-boundary students attending Walter C. Young Middle and living west of I-75 to Silver Trail Middle. This would allow 100% of students in the boundary of Silver Palms Elementary to attend Silver Trail Middle. Passed 33-16.
Proposal 8: Combine Plantation Middle into Plantation High as a 6-12 school. The current Plantation Middle boundary would be the sixth to eighth grade boundary, and the current Plantation High boundary would be the boundary for ninth to 12th grade students. Passed 37-12.
Proposal 9: Move all 571 in-boundary students attending Bair Middle to Westpine Middle. Bair would be transitioned to another district use. Failed 37-12.
Proposal 10: Move 191 in-boundary students attending Charles W. Flanagan High in Pembroke Pines and living west of I-75 to West Broward High. This would allow 100% of Silver Trail Middle students to attend Flanagan. Passed 41-8.
Proposal 11: Move 447 in-boundary students attending Hallandale High and living west of I-95 to Miramar High. Hallandale High would transition to a four-day-a-week magnet school serving students south of Sunrise Boulevard. Students living in Hallandale Beach would be automatically assigned to the school. Passed 47-2.
Proposal 12: Create a school-within-a-school at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, serving third to fifth grade gifted/dual language students. This program may replace a third to eighth grade gifted program at Parkway Middle. K-5 students living within the Thurgood Marshall Elementary boundary would continue to be assigned to Thurgood Marshall. Passed unanimously.
What’s ahead?
After the Dec. 8 workshop, Superintendent Howard Hepburn is expected to issue a memo with his final recommendations on Friday, Dec. 12. The school board will take a final vote on boundary changes, closures and consolidations at its next meeting on Jan. 21, 2026.
The workshop will be streamed live on the district’s website. Families and community members are encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to speak during public comment.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
