Four Miami-Dade Schools on the Chopping Block Next Week

Four Miami-Dade neighborhood schools are staring down possible closure or consolidation, after school board members on Wednesday signed off on a planning item that could dramatically reshuffle where thousands of kids go to class. The measure, which stretches from Liberty City to the southern edge of the county, will not get a final verdict until the full School Board meets on Wednesday, June 17.

According to WPLG Local 10, the four campuses under the microscope are Lenora Braynon Smith Elementary (4700 NW 12th Ave.) in Liberty City, Miami Springs Middle (150 S. Royal Poinciana Blvd.), Pine Villa Elementary (21799 SW 117th Ct.) in Goulds, and Richmond Heights Middle (15015 SW 103rd Ave.). Board member Luisa Santos, who brought the planning item forward, said the goal is to "modernize timelines" and give families earlier notice and more voice. "Sixty-five percent of students are not attending their neighborhood school," she told colleagues, arguing the district has to catch up with how families are actually choosing schools.

Previous reporting from Axios Miami shows the backdrop for all of this is a sharp enrollment slide. The district counts roughly 313,000 students this year, about 13,200 fewer than last year, which has left Miami-Dade with more seats than students and fueled proposals to merge or close campuses. In May, officials identified as many as nine schools across the system as candidates for closure or repurposing as part of a countywide effort to rebalance classroom capacity and operating costs.

Facilities Planning Already on the Books

Miami-Dade's official Five-Year Facilities Work Program already includes replacement or renovation plans for Lenora Braynon Smith, Pine Villa, and Richmond Heights, a sign the district has been setting aside capital funds for those sites while it weighs their future. The work plan lays out projected price tags and timelines, which in turn feed into decisions about whether to shut down, combine, or reconfigure campuses, according to the district document.

What Happens Next and How Families Can Weigh In

The board is scheduled to take up the item again at its regular meeting on June 17, when a public hearing and vote could unfold. WPLG Local 10 reports that the sponsor wants to build in more time and transparency for families before any changes become official. For exact deadlines, speaker sign-up rules, and the full agenda, residents are directed to the School Board's information pages and the official public notices for the June meeting.