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Commission endorses ‘public
school’ for Sunny Isles Beach
By
Bari Auerbach
At the Sept. 22 Sunny
Isles Beach City Commission meeting, a resolution was adopted to approve
the concept of building a K-8 public school in Sunny Isles Beach as
per recommendation of the Education/Schools Committee of the Mayor’s
Advisory Council. The resolution also gives the City Manager authority
to initiate an agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools that
will come back before the City Commission for review.
During the Sept. 22 meeting, Bob Welsh, chair of the Education/Schools
Committee, addressed the City Commission while other Committee members
were seated in the audience along with Miami-Dade Public School leaders
including Enid Weisman, assistant superintendent/Access Center 2.
“Thank you for your understanding of the need for Sunny Isles
Beach to have a school; for your response to the plea of the parents
for the school; and for giving [our Committee] the time and support to
be able to do this,” Welsh said to City Commission members.
“Special thanks to [City Clerk] Jane Hines for all the work she
has done for us; and to Mayor [Norman Edelcup] for giving me the exciting
and worthwhile opportunity to head this Committee.” Welsh went
on to thank Commissioner Lewis Thaler, liaison to the Education/Schools
Committee, for his support and helping to organize an effort to send
out questionnaires regarding the school to parents and business owners
in the city.
Welsh reported that there was about a 40 percent response to questionnaires
sent out to a list of 1,100 business organizations in Sunny Isles Beach;
and out of over 900 questionnaires sent to Sunny Isles Beach parents,
only a total of 30 to 40 responses were received. Welsh also said responding
businesses expressed willingness to participate with the proposed school
in ways such as contributing funds to purchase equipment and speaking
to classes.
Explaining the composition
of the Education/Schools Committee, Welsh noted, “[The City Commission] made intelligent selections for the
Committee - but not one [member selected] has children in Sunny Isles
Beach - so we needed to expand the Committee to get a voice from the
community of the very people you’re attempting to serve…So
we have more names than were originally assigned to the Committee…We
broke into sections because the Committee had [various kinds of] work
to do.”
According to a packet
of information Welsh passed out to the Commission, the mission of the
Education/Schools Committee was: “To develop
a profile for the future school(s) of Sunny Isles Beach; state areas
of concern that may impact our children that we wish to measure; compare
these areas of concern in existing schools: Dade County Public Schools
(MDCPS), Charter Schools, and Satellite Schools; and come to a committee
consensus in order to recommend a selection of school type to the Commission.”
The information packet
handed out to the Commission also included a letter from Enid Weisman,
assistant superintendent Access Center 2, written to City Manager Christopher
Russo. The letter answers questions relating to bringing a public school
to Sunny Isles Beach. The information packet also included a study
comparing public, charter and satellite schools; philosophies regarding “the role of a school” in
Sunny Isles Beach; and questionnaires that were sent to business organizations
and parents.
Public School Recommendation
Cutting to the “bottom line,” Welsh told the Commission, “I
have two words for you: ‘Public School.’ By taking away
the suspense, we can get into what we’re doing here and why we’re
doing it.”
Welsh explained the Committee considered and compared possibilities
including a public school, Sunny Isles Beach charter school and satellite
school of Miami-Dade County.
A “School Comparison Chart” prepared by the Education/Schools
Committee highlights the option of going with a public school would result
in land for the school site being “purchased” by Miami-Dade
County Public Schools; however later in the meeting, City Manager Christopher
Russo noted, “We’ll own the land and lease it to them - hopefully
forever.”
With the charter
school option, the chart indicates land would be “bought
and paid for by Sunny Isles Beach”; and with the satellite school
option, the land would be “supplied by Sunny Isles Beach.”
In regards to the
school facility, the comparison chart shows with the public school
option, the facility would be “built by the School
Board.” With the charter school option, the facility would be “built
by Sunny Isles Beach”; and with the satellite option, the facility
would be “supplied by Sunny Isles Beach.”
The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission recently 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. The city is seeking to build the school
on the property located between 182nd Drive and 183rd Street at Atlantic
Boulevard.
Public Schools vs. Charter Schools
Welsh told the Commission that Education/Schools contributors Cindy Lasky
and Janet Cini, who both have teaching experience, were a “driving
force” behind comparative research efforts.
“For three days [we attended] a nationwide charter school conference
at the Fontainebleau [Resort], where the U.S. Secretary of Education
gave a speech about the value of charter schools,” Welsh said.
“I began to realize [the meaning of] ‘charter school.’ It’s
a school that’s a public school in [that] it takes public funding
and it has to conform to certain requirements [for] curriculum…and
[charter school] students do take FCATS - but [charter schools] have
less control from the district public school boards…We thought
that might be an advantage [but] what we didn’t realize at the
time is the charter school is also a business.”
Commissioner Roslyn
Brezin later noted, “If we went with a charter
school versus a Dade County public school, our commissioners would [have
to] be acting as the School Board in making the decisions; and our [City
Manager Christopher Russo] would be setting the budget for the school.”
“[With a charter school], the city is responsible for budget increases
and shortfalls,” Russo responded. “That’s not what
we’re recommending. The budget and operation of [a Sunny Isles
Beach public school would be] through the Miami-Dade County school system.”
“This is a unique agreement in that [the City of Sunny Isles Beach
is] providing the land and entering into a joint cooperative effort with
[MDCPS] to build the school expeditiously,” Russo explained. “We’ll
own the land and lease it to them - hopefully forever…Financial
responsibility will always remain with Dade County Public Schools…[They’ll]
get the school built to the highest standards.”
Russo also said, “This unique situation will work through their
education oversight committee which we’ll have representatives
on.” According to the letter sent to Russo by Weisman, “Sunny
Isles Beach could have up to three members on the school’s Educational
Excellence School Advisory Council.”
Commissioner Danny
Iglesias interjected, “The magic word is ‘money’ -
government has the money to do things right.”
“[Charter school] companies do the work that the Miami-Dade County
School Board does for you – but they take money for it,” Welsh
added. “When you sign up with Dade County, they give you money;
and when you sign up with the charter school - you give them money. ‘Charter
school’ [also brings to mind] a national movement [seeking] to
move ahead with what we used to call a voucher system or alternative
education system…It’s a legal way to circumvent the system.”
Welsh also informed
the Commission that the night before, on Sept. 21, the Education/Schools
Committee met with the charter school company retained by the City
of Aventura. “I asked why they built [Aventura’s
charter elementary school] as a ‘multi-use building’ [and
the response was], ‘So if the charter school ‘goes broke’ they
can sell the building as an office building.’”
Welsh went on to
express his opinion that the charter school movement is “gaining ground” in
less affluent neighborhoods where children are not performing well
in public schools as opposed to in wealthier residential areas where
students are excelling in public schools.
Welsh posed the question, “Why would anybody in an [upscale] area
like Sunny Isles Beach - where wealthy people are moving in and giant
condos are going up - consider a charter school? We [in Sunny Isles Beach]
considered a charter school because Aventura has a charter school - and
if Aventura has something maybe we should have it because ‘Aventura
is Aventura.’ But Aventura made a mistake.”
“If [Aventura] would have waited another year or two they would
have had a public school and there wouldn’t have been the problem
they have now where they have 1,400 [school age kids] and only 600 kids
can [be accommodated at the Aventura charter elementary school],” Welsh
said. “The other kids [who can’t get in] are going to the
same schools that our kids [in Sunny Isles Beach] are going to…[The
Miami-Dade County School] people said, ‘Hey wait a minute…let
us come in and talk to you. So they came in and wanted to [address our
Sunny Isles Beach Education/Schools Committee].”
Public School Promises
Welsh explained to the Commission that Miami-Dade public school representatives
told the Committee: “We’ll pay for the school building;
we’ve built buildings before…we have templates and models
you can choose from…choose the one that fits on your piece of
land.”
In regards to actual
construction of the school, Welsh reported, “[Sunny
Isles Beach City Manager Christopher Russo asked] ‘Do you think
we can use [the] construction company [of our choice?]; and [he was told], ‘Sure
- you can use whoever you want.’ [But with a] charter school, [the
city would be] responsible for handing over the money…So here
we have a building [Miami-Dade County Public Schools] is going to pay
for…and the [school] principal [will have] authority to choose
the staff based on how qualified they are…To me those were the
two biggest factors involved [in the decision making process].”
Setting Boundaries
During the meeting, Commissioner Lewis Thaler noted, “One question
that continually comes up is the criteria [relating to] children [from
other municipalities] coming into the school.”
According to the
letter sent to Russo by Weisman, “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.”
At the Sept. 22 Commission
meeting, Weisman said, “No one who
works for Dade County Public Schools makes the attendance boundary decision…[Area]
schools [that would be affected by the construction of the new school
in Sunny Isles Beach would be targeted first]…The children in
Sunny Isles Beach now go to [schools including] Bay Harbor Elementary,
Highland Oaks Elementary and Ojus Elementary.”
“Each school elects a committee; and from that committee they
form a central committee looking at the demographics…and the group
of citizens makes a recommendation,” Weisman said. “[We’re
discussing] building a 1,600 station K-8 [public elementary school in
Sunny Isles Beach]. At the current time, you don’t have 1,600 students
[in Sunny Isles Beach]. Down the road, I think you would - but right
now you don’t - and you’re short by a lot…So [elected
committee members would go] block by block and try to [set attendance]
boundaries.
“When we look at a map, the closest communities [to Sunny Isles
Beach would be most viable]. The prime consideration is overcrowding
in other schools…[Taking Sunny Isles Beach] children out of Bay
Harbor Elementary [to attend the city’s new school] would not leave
Bay Harbor overcrowded…I wouldn’t see you getting kids from
Bay Harbor and Surfside because they’d be able to handle their
own [population of] school kids - so now you’d be looking north
to Eastern Shores and Golden Beach…I don’t think those children
would bring down the quality of education in your school one bit.
“[Boundary setting] is a year long process…We’ll
have our first meeting in October for the school being built by FIU…And
we go through a boundary process every year. Let’s say the school
goes on and it’s fine - and five years down the road we get a tremendously
overcrowded situation…That’s where the other schools we’re
building are going to be very helpful…But we can go back for attendance
boundaries any year…it’s an annual process.”
Capacity/Autonomy
On the topic of overcrowded classrooms, Weisman noted, “In 2010
the class size amendment becomes lawful [and we’re] building schools
to meet those guidelines…In Dade County schools, we look at a
school reaching [a 115% cap]. The law says overcrowding is not a consideration.
Once a school reaches 115% we would be closed to any transfers.
“According to demographics, it’s going to be a long time
before Sunny Isles Beach has over 1,600 K-8 students - and by then there
will be three more schools built…If we know ‘x number’ of
units are coming online [in Sunny Isles Beach] in the next two or three
years, we’ll allow for that and that will be part of the process.”
In the letter written
to Russo, Weisman alludes to class size maximums. “By
the year 2006, every school must meet the following guidelines and by
2010, every classroom must be in compliance: Kindergarten-3rd grades:
18 students; Grades 2-Grade 8: 22 students; Grade 9-Grade 12: 25 students.”
Vice Mayor Gerry Goodman asked if philosophical goals for the school
outlined by the Education/Schools Committee were in keeping with the
procedures and policies of Miami-Dade County public schools.
In response, Weisman
said, “[I can tell you that 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.”
In response to a
question regarding whether or not additional courses or studies could
be offered at the school above basic levels, Weisman said in the letter
written to Russo, “Many courses can be offered
at the honors or gifted levels. Additionally, if the students qualify,
they may take certain high school level courses while in sixth, seventh
or eighth grade.”
Weisman also told
the Commission, “[Community] input is something
we’ve fought very hard for.” She also encouraged Sunny Isles
Beach to form a “Citizens’ Education Excellence Committee” modeled
after one that has been very successful in Miami Beach. In the letter
written to Russo, Weisman further notes, “By providing insight
to what the needs and desires of the community are in relationship to
school administration [Sunny Isles Beach can have a meaningful role in
the selection process of a school principal].”
Desired Auditorium
During further discussions, Commissioner Danny Iglesias brought up the
concept of having an auditorium in the school that could be funded
by developers and jointly used for city/cultural events.
Mayor Norman Edelcup
concurred, noting, “It’s important
to have a school for the children as well as a facility for adults in
the community.” Commissioner Roslyn Brezin also agreed. “If
we go with a public school we will be committed to use the [auditorium]
facility for the community [as well],” she said.
Subsequently, City
Manager Christopher Russo said, “We’re
going to look at adding an auditorium and getting a developer [to fund
construction] since it doesn’t fall within the School Board’s
allocation for construction. We certainly would like to put [in an auditorium
with] the largest capacity possible…But the reality is, [this
is] slightly over a two-acre site…so we would be somewhat constrained
in the size of the [auditorium].”
School Commentaries
Loretta DeVries
“The value of the structure that will be built by the Dade County
Public Schools is far greater than the one from the charter school,” DeVries
said. “The charter school value is about $14 million and the public
school would have a value of approximately $25 million.
“The way the school will be outfitted for the students by the
public school is far superior to that of the charter school…There
is no immediate set plan by the charter school as to what would happen
to the students should they go bankrupt or out of business…And
our City Commission would be burdened in certain areas in the running
of the school where that is not the case with the public school. [The
public school leaders want] our participation but could run things with
or without it…The public school is better equipped to do the job
we want done.
“[Regarding]
the auditorium, it would be good if citizens were given the opportunity
to participate [in funding contributions] and not just developers.”
Herb Abramson,
Chair of SIB Civic, Cultural & Beautification Trust
“When the Civic, Cultural & Beautification Trust was formed,
we sought to determine the needs of Sunny Isles Beach; and one of them
was a performing arts center that could provide events for citizens to
attend like many other communities have,” Abramson said.
“I’d like the Commission to consider building a 700 seat
auditorium…Besides serving our adult community it would avoid
having a 1,500 or 1,600 student body having to go to four assembly halls
to hear topics…there could be two which makes it very efficient.
“We are land-short and if we have to put an extra story of classrooms
on the building [to accommodate the larger auditorium we should]…To
sum up, the Education/Schools Committee has done a marvelous job…I
attended last night’s [Sept. 21] meeting and I was amazed at the
intelligence of the Committee [members as they] asked questions of charter
school [representatives] that brought out all the weaknesses of the charter
school and emphasized the advantages of the public school. I would urge
[the City Commission] to vote for [the public school option] with the
added incentive of [including] a large auditorium.”
George “Bud” Scholl
“[I have] two words: ‘Be skeptical,’” Scholl said. “Go
into this with an abundance of caution and let’s hope for the best.
This is a complicated process…Rely on professionals…We have
to get things in writing from the School Board…In the last four
years, only two schools have gotten built…There is always great
rhetoric at this level.”
Henry Kay,
president Sunny Isles Beach Citizens’ Coalition
“What are we going to offer to the people who are going to buy all
those large condominiums?” Kay said. “One of the things we
can offer is to get developers’ input to make sure the people who
want to live in the condos have something wonderful to look forward to…Whether
[the school is] one or two stories more [to accommodate a large auditorium]
this is of enormous importance and it’s an enormous opportunity.”
Mayor Norman Edelcup
“I think we all want to see a large auditorium,” Edelcup said. “If
we pass this resolution [endorsing the public school] we’ll instruct
the City Manager, architects and the School Board to build the largest
auditorium possible on the parcel of land we have…Everyone has spoken
loud and clear that we want to be in the range of a 700 seat auditorium…The
primary goal is to get a school; and the secondary goal is to get as large
an auditorium as we possibly can.”
‘Wonderful
Opportunity’
On behalf of the City Commission, Mayor Norman Edelcup said, “I’d
like to thank [members of the Education/Schools] Committee, who worked
diligently over the past four months and throughout the summer in making
their studies and completing their recommendations; [as well as] members
of the audience and Miami-Dade County Schools…I think we have
a wonderful opportunity to build [a school] we can all be proud of in
Sunny Isles Beach.”
Subsequently, the Commission unanimously passed the resolution accepting
the report of the Education/Schools Committee; approving the concept
of a public school; and giving the City Manager authority to initiate
an agreement with Miami-Dade Public Schools that will ultimately come
back before the Commission for review.
Workshops
During the Sept. 22 City Commission meeting, dates for upcoming workshops
were selected preceding the election on Nov. 2 that will have charter
amendment questions on the ballot regarding issues such as proposed
compensation for Sunny Isles Beach City Commissioners. The workshop
dates are as follows:
Monday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.: OceanView
Monday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m.: Winston Towers, Bldg. 400
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m: Arlen House
For more information, phone: 305-947-0606
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