Broward Reopens Schools; Six Campuses Remain Closed After Consolidation Vote, More Closures Possible

Classes in Broward County, Florida, resumed on Monday, Aug. 10, but several school buildings remained closed following a Jan. 21 vote by the Broward County School Board to consolidate six campuses into nearby schools.

The board-approved consolidations announced on Jan. 21 are:

• Sunshine Elementary consolidated into Fairway Elementary.
• Seagull Alternative High School consolidated into Whiddon-Rogers Education Center.
• Panther Run Elementary consolidated into Chapel Trail Elementary and Silver Palms Elementary.
• North Fork Elementary consolidated into Croissant Park Elementary, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Elementary and Walker Elementary.
• Palm Cove Elementary consolidated into Lakeside Elementary and Pines Lakes Elementary.
• Plantation Middle School consolidated into Plantation High School.

Superintendent Howard Hepburn described the consolidations as part of a series of "cost-saving measures," saying the district has lost more than 40,000 students over the past decade — a decline that has reduced revenue by more than $30 million.

"We are projected to decline another 9,000 students," Hepburn told NBC6 in July, adding that uncertainty over Temporary Protected Status for Haitians raised concerns that "students who are impacted by TPS" might not attend school.

Hepburn warned additional closures were likely: the district currently has about 50,000 empty seats, and he told NBC6, "I do foresee more closures," arguing consolidation is necessary to be "great stewards of taxpayer dollars." The Broward board planned to discuss proposals to repurpose or close more schools on Aug. 25.

At a May 12 school board workshop, Hepburn told board member Allen Zeman that the district could close more than 10 schools in the 2027–2028 academic year if enrollment declines continue and officials pursue campus repurposing to improve efficiency. No specific schools were named at that meeting.

Regional Enrollment Trends

The consolidations in Broward reflect a broader enrollment downturn across Florida. Figures compiled by the Lee County School District show the state's five largest districts — including Miami-Dade and Broward — lost roughly 67,000 non-charter students collectively from the 2023–2024 school year through 2025–2026 (data current through February 2026, PreK–12 membership).

Miami-Dade Public Schools:

• Lost 6,947 non-charter students and gained 1,331 charter students from 2023–2024 to 2024–2025.
• Lost 15,288 non-charter students and gained 428 charter students from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026.
• As of February 2026, reported 232,617 non-charter students and 86,802 charter students for 2025–2026.

Broward County Public Schools:

• Lost 9,512 non-charter students and gained 68 charter students from 2023–2024 to 2024–2025.
• Lost 6,955 non-charter students and 1,328 charter students from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026.
• Reported 185,864 non-charter students and 48,460 charter students at the start of 2025–2026.

Combined, Miami-Dade and Broward lost 38,702 non-charter students between 2023–2024 and 2025–2026. Observers and local reporting point to expanded voucher programs, rapid charter and private school growth, and demographic shifts — including fewer immigrant families moving to South Florida — as factors in the enrollment declines.

District leaders say the closures and consolidations are intended to reallocate resources, reduce empty seats, and repurpose facilities to better match current enrollment. The actions will affect students, families, staff assignments and facility use across the county.

Reporting by Sarah Perkel for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY.