By Bari Auerbach
To help provide the best educational opportunities and ensure “sunny futures,” the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission recently approved a resolution establishing a College Scholarship Program for high school students who have been residing in the city for at least one year.
At the June 17 City Commission meeting, Mayor Norman S. Edelcup explained, “The City Commission has a made a commitment to provide educational opportunities to our young residents. This commitment was the driving force for the creation of the first public school in the city - the Sunny Isles Beach K-8 Community School.
“This Commission recently made a generous contribution to the Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High School to support academic programs. By creating educational opportunities, the city is in essence creating a safer environment for our kids. The city cannot control the problems that are associated with growing-up in the ‘MTV generation.’ These problems include but are not limited to drug abuse among teenagers. However, the city can work diligently in preventing drug abuse among young people.
“In an effort to promote safe neighborhood and drug prevention, I strongly recommend the creation of a College Scholarship Program for high school students residing in the city [for at least one year]. Specifically, the city via the assistance of Chief of Police [Fred Maas] will provide four annual scholarships to college-bound high school students, who are residents of the city. The amount of each scholarship will be $5000.
“A committee which includes the Chief of Police, principals at Sunny Isles Beach K-8 Community School and the Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School will select the scholarship recipients. The first scholarships will be awarded in May 2011.
The minimum qualifications for the scholarship are:
(1) Applicant must be a resident of the City of Sunny Isles Beach (for at least one year);
(2) Must be enrolled in a public school;
(3) Applicant must perform 20 hours of community service to promote drug prevention
or law enforcement related activities; and
(4) Applicant must write a 500 word essay on the topic of the dangers of drug abuse or creating a better community.
“Lastly, it is important to note that the interest from forfeiture funds will be the source of funding. [This] resolution further authorizes the City Manager and the Chief of Police to create a specific funding source for the annual scholarship.”
Partnering for Success
During the June 17 City Commission meeting, Miami-Dade School Board member Dr. Martin Karp along with Dr. Annette Weissman, principal of the Sunny Isles Beach K-8 Community School; Sally Alayon, principal of Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Sr. High School; PTSA member Marianna Talalaevsky; and Sunny Isles Beach Police Chief Fred Maas joined in extolling the merits of forming city-county-school partnerships and launching the Sunny Isles Beach College Scholarship Program.
“We so value this partnership,” Karp said. “Each time I have an opportunity to discuss potential [educational] partnerships with other municipalities, Sunny Isles Beach is the example…[This scholarship program] will provide incentives for children to think about ‘what’s at the end of the road.’ Kids can be distracted and get on the wrong track, so this is something we need to really make a difference and keep them reaching for success.”
‘Grade A’
“Our schools are so good, a lot of parents are pulling their kids out of private school to go to them.” This observation by Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner George “Bud” Scholl is evidenced by the “A Grade” earned by the Sunny Isles Beach K-8 Community School after being open for just one term. And now, according to recently released 2010 FCAT scores for third graders at the school, 87% of students met high standards in reading; and 93% met high standards in math.
At least 300 students who reside in Sunny Isles Beach are also currently enrolled in the new, state-of-the-art Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High School neighboring FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus; and within the next two years, at least 50 percent of the high school’s enrollment is expected to be comprised of students from Sunny Isles Beach.
On April 15, 2010, the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission also approved a $3,000 donation from the city to the Marine Science Program at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Sr. High School. Principal Sally Alayon and PTSA member Marianna Talalaevsky had previously appeared before the Commission to present a video of the school’s achievements just one year since opening and request a city donation and/or the establishment of a scholarship fund.
At the June 17 City Commission meeting it was noted that following the passage of the resolution establishing the Sunny Isles Beach College Scholarship Program, since students from Golden Beach, North Miami and North Miami Beach also attend the Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Sr. High School, these municipalities may also be encouraged to establish similar scholarship programs.
