Broward County Public Schools is shaking up the district with a contentious plan to close several schools due to under-enrollment. At an initial town hall on Monday, parents and educators aired their grievances over the proposed shuttering of three beloved schools: Olsen Middle in Dania Beach, Oakridge Elementary in Hollywood, and Broward Estates Elementary in Lauderhill, according to a NBC Miami report.

In face of falling student populations, the district has laid out drastic measures, with BCPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn at the helm of the "Redefining Our Schools" initiative. "We got a lot of feedback from the community, feedback that we will take back into consideration as we revise ours consideration before our recommendations are presented to the school board in the next week or two," Hepburn told WSVN.

Under the proposed plan, additional schools are undergoing grade reconfiguration, while others might enter public-private partnerships. The district also unveiled a "Total District Realignment" plan that, while not recommended, would see 42 schools closed to eliminate excess capacity. NBC Miami indicates that approximately 50,000 seats remain unfilled across the district.

Julie Burger-Shannon, an ESE specialist at Oakridge Elementary, expressed distress over the potential impact on local families: "We have a huge impact on the community and just for families to hear that they can no longer possibly go to their neighborhood school ... after all this information comes out will be disappointed as well," she said in a statement obtained by NBC Miami. The district has plans for six additional community town halls as it moves toward finalizing the strategy.

Besides the closures, several schools could see boundary changes, including Silver Palms Elementary and Hollywood Hills Elementary among others. These alterations come alongside the consideration of repurposing existing buildings for new functions, with Hepburn suggesting options such as office space or local agreements spanning private or public partnerships. A final decision from the school board is expected in June, with the changes slated for the 2025-26 school year, as per WSVN.