With over 14,000 residents in Miami Springs, only 40 families send their middle school aged child to Miami Springs Middle School. That fact was shared Thursday night by Miami-Dade County Public School Board Member and Miami Springs resident, Dan Espino.
Where do all the other parents send their middle school aged child? AIE, ISAAC Academy, Blessed Trinity, JM MAST Academy, Doral Academy, etcetera. Thanks to school choice, parochial schools and charters schools, parents in Miami Springs have long ago decided to take their kids somewhere other than Miami Springs Middle School.
The conversion of Miami Springs Senior High to the new Miami Springs 6-12 Preparatory Academy aims to provide an alternative for 5th grade parents, right here in Miami Springs, making the decision about where to send their soon to be 6th grader for middle school.
Immediate Advantages
Miami Springs Senior High already has the most comprehensive sports program among schools in Miami Springs. It has a long track record in winning state championship from its early days in swimming to soccer to winning the state championship in baseball just last year.
The conversion into a 6-12 academy promises to open the door for sports to young athletes at the middle school age. This will create a pipeline of more advanced athletes at the high school level.
Furthermore, it opens the door for middle schoolers to take on more advanced academics and electives they would never see at a standalone middle school. That includes the amazing Logistics program, the Aerospace Engineering program, and Travel and Tourism academy.
Great News for Parents
Local Miami Springs parents have voted with their lack of enrollment, that Miami Springs Middle School was not for them. The school board has responded and is now creating a new option with new benefits for you and your child.
Hours for the New School
High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers will have the same schedule with classes starting at 7:20am and ending at 2:20pm.
Will Students be Segregated
Yes and No.
Predominantly middle school classes will be held on side of the MSSH campus all grouped together. High school courses will also be grouped together.
However, some electives and certain courses can see middle schoolers and high schoolers mixed together. An advanced middle schooler may be taking geometry courses with high schoolers.
Lunches will be segregated so that middle schoolers and high schoolers are not having lunch at the same time.
My child will be in 6th grade next year. What should I do?
Schedule a tour of Miami Springs Senior High (soon to be Miami Springs 6-12 Preparatory Academy). Meet with the principal. Take your child with you. Explore the facilities.
As parents, we always want what’s best for our children. What’s best for one child may not be what’s best for another. Some children need sports or they will be lost. Others need clubs. Some need drama, theater, and the arts. Others need the advanced mathematics for a future in engineering. And yet others want to have as many options available as they discover what they truly like.
If you are having the discussion about where to place your soon to be middle schooler, explore all your local options. And then take a look at Miami Springs Senior High / Miami Springs 6-12 Preparatory Academy.
Your gut will tell you which school is right for your child.
What’s going to happen to the old Middle School
It appears the school board is in talks with leasing a portion of the property to the Miami Springs Police Department. There was also discussion of adding additional learning options for tutoring and lecturing. However, these still seem like ideas and not formalized plans just yet.
