Joint Broward County Commission and Broward County School Board Workshop

On September 10, 2026, the Broward County Commission and Broward County School Board held their first joint workshop in 12 years in Commission Room 430, with a hard stop at 1:55 p.m. Commission and school board members discussed facility sharing, emergency shelter coordination, legislative priorities, and workforce development. No formal votes were taken; the workshop produced staff assignments and a commitment to continue joint collaboration.

Facilities & Joint Use

• School Board Chief of Staff John Sullivan said the district wants to partner with the county on facilities that are available or will become available through the district's "redefining" school portfolio effort. School Board Chair Sarah Leonardi noted that community members at a Miramar-area redefining meeting suggested using future closed campuses as library space.
• School Board member Rebecca Thompson supported shared "third spaces" and noted that the library space at Walter C. Young may no longer be available, creating a possible expansion opportunity.
• School Board member Debbie Higson asked the county to help with graduation venues, explaining that three schools can only fit at the Hard Rock and that venue is too expensive. She raised the county convention center as a possible option and asked for equity in where students hold graduation.
• The Mayor said all government facilities should be on the table, and county administrator Monica cautioned that the convention center is booked years in advance because its revenue pays bonds, but said if dates are open the county is willing to talk.
• Commissioner Udine shared examples of small city-county-school collaborations, including a copy paper loan and SAT prep funding, and urged avoiding over-lawyering. The Mayor asked for a shared inventory of county and school board properties and availability.
• Officials discussed reciprocal agreements and existing interlocal agreements; the current emergency shelter agreement was cited as a key existing partnership.
• A commissioner raised the student ID library card program, noting roughly 80,000 students once used it. School Board staff said they believed it was still in effect, and both bodies agreed to promote it during library card month.

Emergency Management & Shelter Coordination

• County administrator Monica said three proposed school closures would affect emergency shelters: Panther Run Elementary, Silver Lakes Elementary, and Dolphin Bay Elementary. Together those schools represent about 1,200 shelter spaces during emergency activations.
• The county asked to be the first party consulted about leasing or using the gymnasium, kitchen/cafeteria, and bathrooms at those schools if the properties are sold or repurposed.
• School Board staff said Panther Run has already closed, but the superintendent asked to keep its shelter-capable spaces open to avoid scenarios where the entire school system must close because of one shelter.
• Emergency Management Director Clay Pacheco said the county and school board already plan, train, and exercise shelter operations together and will share updates on shelter capacity.
• The existing shelter interlocal agreement is in place through 2030; the county attorney advised that the county must be made whole for lost shelter capacity if school closures change availability.
• Vice Mayor McKenzie asked for updates on North Fork Elementary and Broward Estates closures. School Board staff said Dr. Wanza would stay in touch with him, and noted that Broward Estates has a pre-K program with 100% of pre-K students kindergarten-ready and that North Fork has an approved "Sistrunk Rising" proposal.

Legislative Priorities & Joint Advocacy

• Debbie Higson said Florida ranks 50th in the nation for teacher pay, and Broward receives about $9,000 per student. She stated Miami-Dade receives about $300 more per student and Palm Beach County receives about $1,700 more per student than Broward.
• Officials attributed the funding gap to the state's district cost differential, which equates to nearly $300 million less for Broward compared with Palm Beach County.
• School Board staff explained the November 3 referendum is a renewal, not a new tax, in place since 2018. It funds supplements for teachers and frontline staff, mental health services, and school safety. Failure would mean a loss of $358 million annually; the referendum needs a simple majority.
• Commissioner Geller asked whether the funding gap is state or local; the answer was that it is driven by state FEFP calculations.
• Commissioner Rich discussed the property tax amendment on the same ballot, saying the county general fund depends heavily on property taxes and that libraries and parks are not core services. Both bodies agreed they can educate the public but not tell people how to vote.
• The county and school board agreed to exchange their formally adopted legislative priorities and seek alignment for joint advocacy ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

Workforce Development & Career Pipelines

• The Mayor invited Superintendent Hepburn to participate in his long-running workforce working group and praised the school board's three vocational schools as top-ranked statewide. He said guidance counselors should not direct every student to college.
• The Superintendent said the district has added CTE coaches to high schools to promote skilled technical careers, not just college paths.
• A commissioner asked about relationship and domestic violence education; School Board staff cited state constraints on curriculum and said financial literacy is now a required subject, with robust finance academies in the district.
• A commissioner raised the upcoming organics waste requirement: after the end of the year, organic waste can no longer go to Monarch Landfill. Solid waste RFPs will be issued in the next few months, and the commissioner asked the school board to coordinate with cities and haulers. The Superintendent said the district is purchasing compostable cafeteria items, running education campaigns, and will begin discussions with cities.
• Commissioner Rogers urged broader joint problem-solving, including summer meal distribution, school kitchens, food security, and transparent lists of surplus properties. She also suggested the county and school board consider sharing one ombudsman. School Board staff responded that food is purchased to avoid spoilage, summer meals are offered, and cities are consulted during school closure discussions.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken; the meeting was a workshop focused on discussion and next steps.
• County administrator Monica will work with Superintendent Hepburn to produce a list of available facilities and bring options back to both boards.
• The county will share shelter requirement lists and keep shelter coordination with the school board a priority, particularly before the next storm season.
• Both bodies will share their adopted legislative priorities and explore joint advocacy items.
• Both sides will publicize the student library card program.
• The school board will continue consulting the county on school closures, property reuse, shelter capacity, and organic waste coordination.
• Participants expressed a shared commitment to hold regular future joint meetings, with some suggesting once or twice a year.