Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Public Schools | |
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Location | |
Florida
United States | |
District information | |
Type | Public |
Motto | Educating Today's Students For Tomorrow's World |
Grades | Pre K-12 |
Established | 1915 |
Superintendent | Howard Hepburn |
Schools | 326 (2023)[1] |
Budget | $3.86 billion (2017)[2] |
Students and staff | |
Students | 251,106 (2023)[3] (6th-largest in U.S.) |
Teachers | 14,403 (2023) [1] |
Staff | 31,691 (2023)[1] |
Other information | |
Teachers' unions | Florida Education Association |
Website | browardschools.com |
Broward County Public Schools is a public
History
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2020) |
Prior to 1966, the county provided completely separate sets of schools for White students and Black students. In 1966, the school district began to experiment with allowing a limited number of Black students to learn alongside White students, ultimately integrating the races in 1969.[6]
William J. Leary served as superintendent until 1988; the school board did not want him to serve out the remainder of his term, so it paid him $113,516 in severance.[7]
Virgil "Sam" Morgan became superintendent of Broward county in 1988. In 1994 Broward's superintendent, Virgil "Sam" Morgan retired after leading the School district for more than five years.
In 1994 Frank Petruzielo became the superintendent. Petruzielo time as superintendent ended in 1999.
Frank Till became the Superintendent in 1999 after Frank Petruzielo retirement. Frank Till however was fired by the school board for no apparent reason in 2006.
James Notter replaced Til's in 2006. Notter in 2011 James resigned from his position as superintendent.
Robert Runcie became superintendent following the resignation of James Notter in 2011. Under Runcie the MSD school shooting took place and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 Robert Runice was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on a felony charge of perjury, after a grand jury commissioned by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019 to review safety and security matters after the Parkland school shooting recommend it. Robert Runcie, then resigned his position In 2021.
Vickie Cartwright in 2021 was chosen as interim superintendent by the Broward county school board. Controversially she later became the superintendent. In November 2022 Dr. Vickie Cartwright was fired by the school board members that Governor Ron DeSantis's appointed. In December 2022 the newly elected board members rescinds her firing. Dr. Vickie Cartwright later resigned in 2023.
Peter B. Licata became superintendent in 2023, he later retired in April 2024 after being superintendent for only 10 months due to health concerns. Licata was replaced by Howard Hepburn as an interim superintendent on the same day.[8]
Broward County Public Schools' current superintendent is Howard Hepburn.
School Board
The current Superintendent of schools is Dr. Howard Hepburn.[9] The members of the school board, which oversee the district, are as follows:[10]
- District 1 – Daniel Foganholi
- District 2 – Torey Alston
- District 3 – Sarah Leonardi
- District 4 – Lori Alhadeff (Chair)
- District 5 – Dr. Jeff Holness
- District 6 – Brenda Fam
- District 7 – Nora Rupert
- District 8 (At Large) – Dr. Allen Zeman
- District 9 (At Large) – Debra Hixon (Vice Chair)
Superintendent of Schools
- William Leary (1984-1988)
- Sam Morgan (1988-1994)
- Frank Petruzielo (1994-1999)
- Frank Till (1999-2006)
- James Notter (2006-2011)
- Robert Runcie (2011-2021)
- Vickie Cartwright (2021-2023)
- Earlean C. Smiley (2023)
- Peter B. Licata (2023–2024)
- Howard Hepburn (2024-present)
Controversies
Handling of Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
On February 14, 2018, a former student
Superintendent Robert Runcie and the School Board faced criticism for their handling of policies and the lack of guidance assisted to the shooter.[11] Runcie and the Board faced particular criticism, including from some parents of students at Stoneman Douglas High School, for the creation of an alternative discipline program for students accused of nonviolent misdemeanors called "Promise", which the Parkland shooter had been referred to.[12]
In the lead up to the 2018 gubernatorial election, Republican candidate
In May 2021, after the grand jury indicted him for perjury during their investigation, Runcie announced his intention to step down.[12] Supporters of Runcie accused the grand jury investigation that led to his indictment of being politically motivated.[12]
School closures and mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic
Amidst the
List of schools
During the 2023-2024 academic school year, the District served 251,106 students.
6-12 secondary schools
High schools
Middle schools
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Elementary schools
Former segregated schoolsAt first all the nonwhite schools were, as elsewhere, elementary schools. In part through the efforts of principals Blanche General Ely and Joseph A. Ely, by the end of the segregation era there were three nonwhite high schools in Broward County: Crispus Attucks in Hollywood, Dillard in Ft. Lauderdale, and Blanche Ely in Pompano Beach.[18]
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See also
- WBEC-TV (Broward Schools' educational channel)
- WKPX (Broward Schools' radio station)
- List of school districts in Florida
References
- ^ a b c d e "About Us / About Us". www.browardschools.com. Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "District Budget "017-18" (PDF). Broward.k12.fl.us. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ a b "2023-24 Benchmark Day Enrollment Count" (PDF). Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Contact Us Archived May 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list
- ^ Luxor, Scott (March 5, 2020). "Historian remembers days of integration in Broward County schools". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/broward-schools-superintendent-dr-peter-licata-announces-retirement/
- ^ "Superintendent / Superintendent's Bio". www.browardschools.com. Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ "Meet the Board / Meet the Board". www.browardschools.com. Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Travis, Megan O'Matz, Scott (May 12, 2018). "Schools' culture of tolerance lets students like Nikolas Cruz slide". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Amrus, Teo. "Facing perjury charges, Florida superintendent offers to step down to give 'peace' to Parkland survivors". Washington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Swisher, Scott Travis, Megan O'Matz, Skyler (February 14, 2019). "Governor asks grand jury to investigate school failures in Parkland shootings". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ a b "Florida to dock salaries, withhold funding from 8 school districts for requiring masks". NBC News. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Postal, Leslie (August 17, 2021). "State board takes action against Alachua, Broward schools for imposing mask mandate". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ Goñi-Lessan, Ana (October 25, 2021). "Biden Administration warns Florida over financial sanctions against school boards with mask mandates". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- South Florida Sun Sentinel. p. 4.
- ^ a b "School Info / Our History".
- ^ Cunningham, Denyse. "Broward County Schools: Some Places of Instruction". Broward Legacy. Broward County Historical Commission. Retrieved January 10, 2019.