Broward School Board OKs $2.9 Billion Construction Plan

Aug. 11–The Broward County School Board approved a $2.9 billion construction plan Wednesday that will renovate old buildings and add hundreds of classrooms in the next five years.

But the plan still could change because it doesn’t consider the full cost of reducing the number of students per classroom as required by Florida law.

Omar Shim, the district official who oversees its capital budget, said Broward still needs to come up with another $333 million to meet class size requirements.

And that number could rise again if the Legislature supports a state Board of Education decision to prohibit schools from reducing class sizes by assigning extra teachers to classrooms.

Where is the money going to come from?

“That’s a good question,” Shim said.

A committee of district officials, parents and teachers union representatives is looking for ways to raise money. Superintendent Frank Till said the board may ask the public to approve a sales tax increase, raise property taxes or open loans using the district’s property as collateral.

By 2010, Florida law says there cannot be more than 18 students per class in pre-K to grade three, 20 students per class in fourth to eighth grades, and 25 students per class in high school. If Broward cannot reduce class sizes by using co-teachers, it would have to spend another $50 million to $70 million to build 525 more classrooms.

State Rep. Shelley Vana, D-West Palm Beach, is drafting legislation that would overturn the Board of Education decision.

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