Broward school choice deadline extended as closures, boundary changes recommended

Broward County Public Schools has extended its deadline for the school choice open enrollment application as the superintendent released his final recommendations for school closures and boundary changes.

“To support families who may be impacted by the Redefining process, the application window has been extended to Jan. 28, 2026, in order to provide additional time to make informed decisions,” according to a statement from BCPS.

The extension was announced the same day superintendent Howard Hepburn shared his recommendations for closing seven schools across the county and shifting boundaries for the 2026-27 academic year.

Hepburn’s recommendations will affect students in areas including Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hallandale, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation and Sunrise.

The school choice application was initially supposed to close Dec. 19, but was extended an extra month. By the time the window closes, the school board will already have voted on whether to adopt Hepburn’s recommendations.

Affected families will be formally notified Jan. 22, according to the Redefining Our Schools page.

School choice enrollment allows families to apply for schools other than the one their child is zoned for based on their home address. Applicants fall into three categories: those seeking enrollments in magnet programs, at Nova schools or reassignment to another school outside their boundary with empty seats.

Students interested in Career Technical Education (CTE), the Gifted Academy and Collegiate Academy programs fall under the reassignment applicant type.

Spots at other schools are not granted on a “first-come, first-served” basis and instead are assigned at random when there are more interested applicants than there are available spots, according to BCPS.

This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Broward school choice deadline extended as closures, boundary changes recommended."