Broward schools earn another A grade after challenging year of cuts and closures

Broward County Public Schools earned an A grade for the third consecutive year from the Florida Department of Education.

Superintendent Howard Hepburn and school board members celebrated the district’s 2025-26 grade during a Wednesday, July 1, news conference at the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Hepburn said the schools that improved their grades did so through an intentional approach.

“It’s very intentional,” Hepburn said. “Number one is having great teachers in the classroom. Number two, having great resources when it comes to supporting curriculum and great leadership at the schools, too.

“There are all types of data that’s collected, be it from the state or be it locally at the school, and so it provides an opportunity for us to personalize the educational experience for each child.”

The district earned the A grade in the midst of a difficult year, when it faced a major budget overhaul, staff layoffs and school closures. Hepburn predicts more challenges ahead but said, “Real educators do not let students down.”

“We always prioritize student opportunities, student experiences, student learning, just to make sure our students are getting what they need to excel beyond our K through 12 system,” he said.

Asked about state polices that have expanded charter schools over traditional public schools and other school choice options, Hepburn said the district is prepared to compete.

“We can exist in any environment, and as I said before, it’s up to us to compete. I love competition and I support parents’ opportunity to choose,” Hepburn said. “They should have that right, but I support competition, and in a competitive environment, we’re showing that we’re the best.”

The district has suffered declining enrollment for the past decade. Hepburn said enrollment trends are driven by multiple factors and are not unique to the county.

“This is not a Broward County Public Schools issue, it’s definitely hitting the tri-county area very hard, but it’s also a national issue,” he said. “There are so many variables: Number one, affordability in many places. Number two, you have school choice as a vehicle for parents to choose as well.

“Also, you have immigration laws as well, so we don’t have a lot of newcomers that we’ve had in the past in our system.”

Hepburn also promoted the district’s November referendum coming to voters, saying the funding would help support teachers and build on the district’s academic success.

Under the proposal approved May 5, about 90% of the estimated $282.6 million generated by the referendum would go toward employee pay supplements for teachers and other school-based staff.

The remaining 10% would be divided between two buckets: mental health support, and safety and security services.