We all knew the school board meeting would just be a formality. But now it’s official. Miami Springs Middle School is officially closed.
The Miami-Dade County School Board voted unanimously Wednesday, June 17th to close down 9 schools including our very own Miami Springs Middle School.
Why did they close the school?
Elementary math. Not enough kids were enrolled at Miami Springs Middle. Not enough kids are enrolled at Miami Springs Senior High. The solution. Merge the two schools into one.
Why was enrollment down so much?
Several factors have impacted enrollment.
- Less kids in the community
- Families today have less kids per household than they did 50 years ago
- Competition
- Private and Charter Schools have given parents choices they didn’t have decades ago
- More parents have enrolled their kids in other schools
Where will the kids go in the fall?
Miami Springs Senior High is converting into the Miami Springs 6-12 Preparatory Academy. 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.
Sad Closure to Beautiful Campus
We had the pleasure of touring the Miami Springs Middle School campus one last time this week. I can tell you it was very sad. So many memories for so many students, faculty, and staff on this beautiful campus.
I had forgotten how the school was designed around lots of beautiful green space. Frankly, most modern schools feel more like an enclosed big box jail. Some schools can be quite depressing without a hint of daylight. Heck, there are colleges with less green space than the beautiful Miami Springs Middle School campus.
Of course, seeing the beauty of the campus only makes it more depressing to know that this beautiful jewel will no longer serve the middle school aged children of our community. It is truly a lost jewel from our community.
Of course, there’s a whole lot of infrastructure here. It appears the school board will repurpose the school to serve as administrative offices, offices for the City of Miami Springs Police Department, and possibly an expansion for AIE Charter School.
There’s a lot of solid infrastructure on the campus like the school’s auditorium. This is a community infrastructure that has served for concerts and even Miami Springs candidate forums.
There’s also the existing cafeteria infrastructure. It would be a shame to see this go to waste. We can only speculate that AIE may one day take over this infrastructure.
Memory Lane
Let’s take a walk down memory lane at Miami Springs Middle School. Do you remember this room?
This was the library where students spent countless hours reading and researching.
Do you remember having a PE locker?
This was the boys locker room which looks almost identical to when this author attended the school back in the 80s.
GUILLERMO (BILLY) SAN PEDRO, JR – MEMORIAL
Lance Corporal Guillermo (Billy) San Pedro, Jr., who attended Miami Springs Senior High, joined the Marines in 1981. He was an expert rifleman who had earned awards at Camp Lejeune, N.C., for his marksmanship. He was 19 years old when he was killed in the October 23, 1983 bomb blast in Beirut, Lebanon.
What comes next?
The short answer is that we don’t know. But there’s a lot of speculation.
It has long been speculated that A.I.E., the neighboring charter school, may expand onto portions of the Miami Springs Middle School campus.
The Miami-Dade County School Board may also use portions of the property for administrative office space.
The other speculation has been that the Miami Springs Police Department will be using a portion of the campus as they are out of room at City Hall.
It would improve the parking situation at the police station.
Bottom line:
The campus was designed as an educational center for the youth of Miami Springs and South Hialeah. If AIE continues to expand onto the old MSMS campus, that would allow the campus to continue to fill that purpose.
If the Police Department uses the campus, that would solve a problem at City Hall. It’ll definitely be great for the Police Department. But how will it serve the youth of Miami Springs?
If we consider the benefits this campus can serve the youth of Miami Springs, let’s consider access to it sports fields for football, soccer, volleyball, etcetera. There’s no reason the Miami Springs Middle School campus should stop serving the youth of our community.
What do you think?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below or via social media.
