First Class
Sunny Isles Beach Public School Set To Open August ‘08
By Bari Auerbach

"With young families continuing to transform the once retirement community of Sunny Isles Beach into a modern and fast-paced city, the city’s youth population is exploding. Today, there are more than 1,500 children living in Sunny Isles Beach, up from about 300 when the city was incorporated in 1997." 'This “educational” information in a recent Miami Herald Neighbors article helps explain why a “first class” public school will soon be enhancing quality of life in Sunny Isles Beach.

If you weren’t privy to discussions and initiatives leading to the exciting announcement that a K-8th grade school is set to open in August 2008, this comprehensive timeline can help you excel on the learning curve…

March 2006

City Attorney Hans Ottinot explained, “Almost two years ago, the City of Sunny Isles Beach entered into an informal partnership with the Miami-Dade School Board to construct a kindergarten through eighth grade public school. Through numerous negotiation sessions, the partnership has developed into a firm commitment to construct the first school in the city.

“The inter-local agreement [between the city and School Board] reflects the commitment made in order to construct a school for the benefit of the residents of the city. Essentially, the agreement outlines the responsibility of the city and the School Board with respect to acquiring the proposed school site and the construction of the school. The School Board has committed to opening the school’s doors in August of 2008. It is anticipated construction will commence in June 2007.”

The School Board has initiated eminent domain proceedings to acquire the school site, and order of taking trials are scheduled for May relating to property located between 182nd Drive and 183rd Street at Atlantic Boulevard.

February 2006

With so many younger families with children moving to Sunny Isles Beach, the goal to build a school within city limits became a top priority. Making an investment in the future, the City Commission recently voted to increase an $8.5 million grant awarded to the Miami-Dade school district by another $1.5 million to help acquire a 2.1 acre site for a K-8 public school. According to Mayor Norman S. Edelcup, rising land values created the need to increase the grant amount - but when it comes to creating a model city, many feel the value of having a first class school is “priceless.”

October 2005

Miami-Dade County School Board member Dr. Martin Karp joined by Enid Weisman, Region 2 District Superintendent, recognized Sunny Isles Beach for contributing $8.5 million toward the acquisition of land for a K-8 public school that will help alleviate the area’s overcrowded classrooms.

“All other municipalities will be looking to see how this works out and [will be taking note of] the generosity, support and confidence Sunny Isles Beach has in our public school system,” Karp said, going on to read the following proclamation:

“The City of Sunny Isles Beach has [proffered] $8.5 million to Miami-Dade County Public Schools towards the district’s proposed acquisition of approximately 2.1 acres of land located at 182nd Drive and Bay Road to build a planned K-8 center to relieve Highland Oaks Middle School, Virginia A. Boone Highland Oaks Elementary and Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor Elementary…The City of Sunny Isles Beach has directed the [Region 2] Superintendent to pursue an inter-local agreement with the City for future construction of this K-8 center by the School Board…

“The City of Sunny Isles Beach will support the use of an adjacent city-owned public park for school recreation under a proposed park/school agreement between the City and the School Board; and beyond this - the City of Sunny Isles Beach has expressed willingness to close and vacate a portion of an intervening street to enhance access to and from the public park.”

Weisman also expressed appreciation to the Commission and members of the city’s Education/Schools Committee, emphasizing, “I expect you to ‘hold our feet to the fire’ - that’s how we get quality education for all of our children.”

August 2005

Mayor Norman S. Edelcup reported: “Commissioners Lewis Thaler, Gerry Goodman, [Vice Mayor] Roslyn Brezin, and I attended a committee meeting held at the school board headquarters in downtown Miami to discuss the proposed school. [Former] City Manager Christopher J. Russo, City Attorney Hans Ottinot, [Assistant City Attorney] Jorge Vera, and Bob Welsh and his wife also attended the meeting.

”At the meeting, a school board committee unanimously approved a staff recommendation to select a proposed site for a new school in the City of Sunny Isles Beach. The site will be the home for a K-8 school facility that would serve as a primary school for residents of the City.

“The approval by the school board committee is a very important step in the process of constructing a public school in the Sunny Isles Beach area. It is undisputed that the City Commission is committed to building a school for our residents. We have demonstrated our commitment by offering the school board $8.5 million dollars to assist them in acquiring the site for the school. This commitment has been demonstrated by the advocacy of Bob Welsh, Chair of the Mayor's Education School Advisory Committee. Mr. Welsh has worked diligently with city officials to advocate the City's desire to build the first school in the City of Sunny Isles Beach.

“During the committee meeting, school board officials praised the city for its commitment to assist them in building a school in the city. In fact, school officials indicated that the partnership between the school board and the city is a historic one because no city in Miami-Dade County has ever contributed municipal funds to the school board for the purpose of building of a school.

The Superintendent of the Miami-Dade County School, Dr. Rudolph Crew, has also expressed his support for the school when he met recently with me and city officials. We have a desire to work with the school board to ensure that we have a quality school for the residents of the City of Sunny Isles Beach.

“The proposed school will relieve overcrowding at Bay Harbor Elementary, Ojus Elementary, Highland Oaks Elementary and Highland Oaks Middle School. With the support of our residents, we will achieve the goal of constructing a school in Sunny Isles Beach.”

September 2004

The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission adopted a resolution approving the concept to build a K-8 public school in Sunny Isles Beach per recommendation of the Education/Schools Committee of the Mayor’s Advisory Council. The resolution also gave the City Manager authority to initiate an agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

During a Sept. 22, 2004 meeting, Bob Welsh, chair of the Education/Schools Committee, addressed the City Commission, stating, “Thank you for your understanding of the need for Sunny Isles Beach to have a school; and for your response to the plea of the parents for the school.”

According to a packet of information Welsh passed out to the Commission, the Education/Schools Committee considered and compared possibilities including a public school, Sunny Isles Beach charter school, and satellite school of Miami-Dade County. Ultimately, the Committee endorsed the public school option with land that would be purchased by Sunny Isles Beach.

Welsh subsequently pointed out why the Education/Schools Committee recommended a public school over a charter school. “[Charter school] companies do the work that the Miami-Dade County School Board does for you – but they take money for it,” he said. “When you sign up with Dade County, they give you money; and when you sign up with the charter school - you give them money.”

The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission previously approved resolutions to acquire property via negotiations or eminent domain in order to build a school in close proximity to a two-acre active park soon to be developed at North Bay Road and 181st Drive.

According to a letter Enid Weisman, Region 2 District Superintendent, wrote to the city: “Sunny Isles Beach can have up to three members on the school’s Educational Excellence School Advisory Council.”

Regarding enrollment, the letter notes, “All students in the attendance boundaries of the school will have equal access to this school. However given the geography and the demographics of Sunny Isles Beach, it’s highly likely that the school will have only Sunny Isles Beach students. Attendance boundaries are determined a year prior to the school opening.”

Weisman also told the Commission, “The goals outlined for the Sunny Isles Beach school are very much aligned with everything on the national, state and district agenda…You have the ingredients that every community in this country wants to have one of the best schools.”

‘Smart Benefits’

According to a popular Business Journal, “To build a work force and attract employers, [the community] and businesses must support public schools…A real estate truism is that home prices rise along with quality of neighborhood public schools. That’s just one reason the community must work together with educators to make great public schools a reality.”

The Business Journal report further notes, “Compared to large regional schools that are increasingly the norm, small neighborhood schools offer intimate, personalized programs where fewer kids fall through the educational cracks. They also offer the benefits of using less land and providing access for students through walking and transit-healthy alternatives to Mom's taxi for young lungs and muscles.”

Here are just some of the “smart” benefits that can result when the community supports education:

• A well-trained workforce…With IT jobs on the rebound and biosciences projected as the cornerstone of the future, this becomes even more important.
• Invest now, save public funds later…As education levels rise, the costs of social programs go down, which means less public spending on welfare, unemployment, health care and criminal justice. One study shows that every $4 spent on high-quality early childhood care and education saves $7 later on in "remedial" social costs.
• Good schools help bring new jobs to South Florida…The condition of local school systems is a major quality-of-life consideration for businesses and employees moving to the area.
• Great schools support real estate values…Quality public schools stabilize neighborhoods and communities and lead to increased housing prices. This holds true in urban areas and suburbia, and for homebuyers with or without children in their households.

‘Dream Big’

To help highlight the fact that Miami-Dade County is an ideal area for conducting business and raising a family, The Beacon Council promotes the motto: “For yourself, for your family… Dream big. Dream Miami-Dade!” Prospective new residents and corporate entities are learning: “Miami-Dade offers many attractive assets - including excellent worldwide access, convenient import and export, a skilled diverse workforce, and a high quality of life. The area is an ideal location for conducting business, recreation, and raising a family.”

Based on the knowledge that “good schools” are of main concern to families and corporate decision makers when deciding where to put down roots/and or relocate, The Beacon Council especially emphasizes: “Education is a very high priority in Miami-Dade County - its 370,000 students make it the fourth largest public school district in the nation, and more than 80 percent of Miami-Dade graduating seniors continue their education.

“The Miami-Dade school district is currently pursuing the most progressive reforms of any major city in the country, moving aggressively to provide a first class education. Miami-Dade schools also boast the largest magnet school program in the United States, with Schools of Choice including 77 fields of study for elementary and secondary students.”

According to Beacon Council statistics, “Changes have also affected South Florida's coastal retirement communities [such as Sunny Isles Beach and Aventura] - turning them into family cities, as the median age drops and the number of families with children continue to rise sharply.”

Today the percentage of minors under 18 residing in Sunny Isles Beach is 11.3. Considering Aventura’s percentage is 10.1 and its charter elementary school (which recently expanded to include a middle school) is already filled to capacity – parents, grandparents and educators agree Sunny Isles Beach is about to earn an “A plus” for meeting the needs of the “booming student body.”

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