Don't expect to see many new schoolhouses built from brick and mortar this year.
Instead, when it comes to new schools, the Miami-Dade district is transforming existing spaces into technology-rich, innovative classrooms.
The new offerings launching this month include:
• A state-of-the-art magnet school for biomedical sciences in the old Homestead Hospital building.
• A technology-driven high school for advanced and virtual studies housed in the School Board administration complex in downtown Miami.
• A new school for overage middle school students.
• Two new schools-within-schools specifically for children with autism spectrum disorders.
• A new high school for international studies housed in a Coral Gables office building.
The district is also opening a biotechnology and forensics magnet program at Miami Norland Senior High.
``We follow the theory of `If you build it, they will come,' '' Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. ``It is the right thing at the right time for our kids.'' Carolyn Nelson-Goedert, newly elected president of the Miami-Dade Council of PTAs/PTSAs, said the new offerings will ``open doors'' for children.
``It's good to see our superintendent and our School Board members thinking outside of the box,'' she said. ``It's good for parents and it's good for children.''
By contrast, five new facilities launched last year.
There will be only one new physical building this year: a replacement school for Carol City Senior High.
MEDICAL MAGNET
The creation of a new medical magnet school in Homestead is part of an effort to bring top academic programs to the outer reaches of the county, Carvalho said.
Students throughout Miami-Dade will be able to apply for admission. If accepted, they will take advanced course work in physical therapy, pharmaceutical services and biomedical studies.
The school will be called the Medical Academy for Science and Technology, or MAST at Homestead. The name is a play on the Maritime and Science Technology Academy, a high-performing magnet school on Virginia Key nicknamed MAST.
It will be one of only two medical magnet programs in Florida, incoming principal Greg Zawyer said.
``We're going to link with hospitals and universities. There will be internships, high-level courses and a lot of community service,'' he said.
MAST at Homestead will be housed in the 100,000-square-foot building that was once Homestead Hospital.
The school district purchased the facility for $7.4 million in 2007. It has since stood vacant because of cuts to education funding.
$8 MILLION FOR REHAB
Carvalho expects to invest another $8 million into rehabilitating the building -- an expense that has already been approved in the district's capital construction budget.
The building will likely be ready for the start of the 2011-12 school year. Until then, MAST at Homestead students will be housed at the Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center.
Zawyer is currently recruiting the first class of 150 freshman.
``We're looking for those top-notch students who want a rigorous curriculum,'' he said.
The iPrep Academy will serve 10th- and 11th-graders looking for a different approach to high school.
Students will take Advanced Placement and honors classes in small groups, while pursuing independent studies online. They will also complete internships and community-based projects.
Carvalho described the iPrep Academy as ``an inside-out school.''
The heart of the school will be a colorful lounge with ambient lighting and music and comfy couches. Students will be able to work collaboratively with their teachers and peers or independently in designated spaces.
A CYBER CAFE
The school will also have a cyber café with a juice bar and organic snacks, Carvalho said.
``When adults walk in, they will be confused by the concept and the environment,'' he said. ``But when students walk in, they will know what it is and how to use it.''
Carvalho expects the space to be ready before the start of the school year. Overall, it will cost less than $100,000, Carvalho said.
The district will also launch three centers for middle school students who are older than 15.
The curriculum will be focused on remedial support and helping the kids reach their age-appropriate grade, Carvalho said.
The centers will enroll students from the sixth through the twelfth grades. Carvalho did not say where they would be located.
OTHER PROGRAMS
Other new programs also include two schools-within-schools for children with autism.
The locations have not been announced, but Carvalho said one will be in the north end of the county and one will be central.
The district's first autism center at Blue Lakes Elementary opened this past school year.
For more information, parents can visit MiamiMagnets.org.
