10 Broward Schools Could Close or Consolidate: What Homeowners Need to Know

Updated September 23, 2026 with the district's September 14 enrollment count and the September 22 School Board workshop, per WLRN, WSVN, Coral Springs Talk and Broward County Public Schools.

Broward Is Looking at Closing or Combining 10 More Schools

Broward County Public Schools is in the third round of its "Redefining Our Schools" plan, which closes, combines or changes grade levels at under-enrolled schools. Ten schools are on the current list, and because students would move to other schools, about 30 campuses would feel it in some way.

Nothing is final. The School Board votes on December 15, 2026, and any changes would start in the 2027-28 school year. Nothing changes your child's school this year.

Why It's Happening

Enrollment keeps falling. The district's official count on September 14 showed about 12,300 fewer students than last year, a 5.6% drop and more than the first-day estimate of about 11,000. Broward now has more than 60,000 empty seats, and because Florida pays districts per student, fewer students means a lot less money. For the first time, charter schools also lost students in the thousands (2,071 fewer).

District leaders point to lower birth rates, less immigration and the cost of living in South Florida. Six schools closed after last year's round.

The Schools on the List

These are the recommendations the district is taking to the community. Some include two options.

• Banyan Elementary (Sunrise): students move to Discovery and Village Elementary.
• Coral Springs Elementary: students move to Eagle Ridge and Parkside Elementary.
• Dolphin Bay and Silver Lakes Elementary (Miramar): students move into Glades Middle, which becomes a K-8. Sunset Lakes Elementary would also become a K-8.
• Hollywood Park Elementary: students move to Boulevard Heights and West Hollywood Elementary, or another option that keeps it open.
• Lloyd Estates Elementary (Oakland Park): students move to Cypress and Oakland Park Elementary.
• Oakridge Elementary (Hollywood): students move to Colbert and Dania Elementary.
• Forest Glen Middle (Coral Springs): Coral Park, Forest Hills, James S. Hunt and Park Springs Elementary would add 6th grade, and Coral Springs High would become grades 7-12.
• Walter C. Young Middle (Pembroke Pines): students move to Pines 6-12 and Silver Trail Middle, or Charles W. Flanagan High becomes a 6-12.
• William E. Dandy Middle (Fort Lauderdale): students move to Parkway Middle, or Dillard's middle schoolers move to Parkway and Dillard goes back to 9-12.

What's Happening in Coral Springs

Forest Glen Middle is an A-rated school with well-known band and chorus programs, but it has 733 students in a building made for 1,627. On September 14, Coral Springs commissioners joined parents and students at a community meeting to push to keep it open. Mayor Scott Brook and Commissioner Joshua Simmons both said the city wants to work with the district to keep it going. One idea on the table is a music academy. A lot of parents are worried about putting 7th and 8th graders on the Coral Springs High campus.

Key Dates

• October 6: Board workshop. The district added a community session and plans to bring detailed data on each proposal.
• November 3: Election day. School Board seats and a countywide school tax referendum are on the ballot. Board member Allen Zeman said if it doesn't pass, the district would miss out on $358 million.
• November 4: Board workshop with community input and family survey results.
• December 15: Final School Board vote.
• December 16: Affected families are notified.
• January 15, 2027: School Choice applications close, just one month after the vote.

How to Speak Up

You can sign up to speak or send a written comment through the district's public participation portal. For comments on a specific agenda item, the deadline is 1:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. Written comments max out at 2,250 characters. Meetings are at the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center, 600 SE Third Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, and are streamed online.

What About Palm Beach County?

Palm Beach County is losing students too, nearly 7,000 in the first days of this school year, but Superintendent Mike Burke said in late August the district isn't planning closures. Parts of Palm Beach County are still growing, and the district has opened new schools there.

What This Means for Homeowners and Buyers

• If you're buying: Don't assume the school zoned to a home today will be the same in 2027. Check the district's boundary and school locator tools, and watch the December 15 vote.
• If you're selling near an affected school: Buyers with kids will ask. Know the facts and the timeline so you can answer clearly.
• If a school near you closes: The building and land may be reused down the road, which could mean anything from a new public use to redevelopment. That's worth following.

Schools are one of the biggest reasons families pick a neighborhood in Broward. If you have questions about how these changes could affect your home or your move, I'm happy to talk it through.

Questions About Schools and Your Move?

Call or text me at (561) 289-9305 or email chris@homesbycusi.com.

Sources: WLRN (September 22, 2026); WSVN (September 22, 2026); iHeart / X1015 (September 22, 2026); Coral Springs Talk (September 16, 2026); Broward County Public Schools "Redefining Our Schools" materials; The Friendly Scoop, "Ten Broward Schools Could Close or Consolidate" (thefriendlyscoop.com/news/broward-school-closures-list-deadlines).