Community pushes bold ideas to win students back to Coral Springs public schools
On Monday night, parents, students and staff from local middle schools gathered at Coral Springs High School to discuss how to get more kids back in Broward County Public Schools.
Topics mentioned during a previous meeting on Sept. 30 returned as parents highlighted what they saw as a lack of marketing for schools’ award-winning programs, allowing charter and private schools to pull families unaware of these opportunities away from their community.
While school board members opted not to close any of the underenrolled Coral Springs middle schools that had been previously discussed for possible repurposing, the distrcit still has to somehow address low enrollment at a handful of local schools, including one in Margate.
New ideas came to the forefront during the Oct. 27 meeting — with potential solutions explored, but no decisions reached. Here’s what you need to know.
New programs and priorities
In a survey, parents and school staff highlighted the programs they believe would make area middle schools more attractive to prospective students.
This included more life skills education, including culinary and nutrition classes, financial planning, and money management instruction. This idea also extended to investing in courses to prepare students for skilled trades and tech jobs, from electrical engineering and plumbing to emerging industries like solar energy generation.
Some middle school students also stood up to speak. Most did so in support of their favorite teachers or programs, while some had suggestions for extracurricular activities.
A sixth-grade Coral Springs Middle School student named Xavier was the first to speak during public comment and requested more social club opportunities for students with interests such as anime and e-sports.
“People need more real life connections,” he said.
Support for autistic and special needs students
Many parents spoke in support of students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs), especially those with autism.
“I hate the fact that we have to market our schools,” said Jen Corrello, a parent of a Sawgrass Springs seventh grader. “If we’re going to advertise something, advertise that we actually support our kids and we can actually support their education and their programs that they need.”
She spoke about friends who had sent their children to charter schools, only to be disappointed by the lack of resources for children with autism, ADHD and other learning disabilities.
Another parent, Franny Vasquez, spoke through a Spanish-language interpreter about her sons, who are both on the autism spectrum.
While one won a scholarship to an area charter school, staff were unable to accommodate his struggles with writing. She was nervous about sending him to Ramblewood Middle School, but she did — and she’s pleased with the result.
“He’s actually happy at the school, even with certain difficulties and challenges through his social skills. And he really enjoys all the subjects,” she said.
She asked district officials not to defund the program her sons are in, which bridges the gap for students on the spectrum to be able to participate in general education classes, rather than being segregated into special needs-only spaces.
Staff pitch magnet schools
Anthony Zoeller, the choir director at Forest Glen, presented a thorough pitch for creating an arts magnet school there.
Teachers and staff have already built an award-winning set of programs there and want to draw students from all over northern Broward County to fill empty seats in the building.
“At Forest Glen, our arts program programs are as strong as at any middle school in Broward — maybe stronger than any other,” he said. “We have over 300 students enrolled in band and chorus. Our chorus, not to brag, is the most awarded middle school program in Broward County over the past dozen years.”
Zoeller spoke about the potential in developing programs for pottery, photography, digital art and television production, in part to compete with private and charter schools.
“Music and the performing arts are consistently among the top priorities for parents,” he said. “Wealthy private schools and strong charter schools absolutely emphasize the arts. Art schools across the state are among the highest performing academic programs anywhere.”
Later speakers, including parents and students, spoke at length about choosing Forest Glen because of its strong performing arts groups.
Sabine Phillips, the principal at Margate Middle School, had a similar concept in mind.
“We want to be an environmental STEM citizenship academy where we promote environmental citizenship, science literacy (and) community involvement,” she said.
She focused on hands-on experiences, with ideas for field trips to a range of locations, from the Everglades to the county’s waste management facilities.
A teacher from Sawgrass Springs also highlighted some of her school’s engagement programs, including environmental programs in the Everglades, taking care of tortoises and farm-to-table culinary arts .
What’s next in the Redefining Our Schools process?
Two more public meetings are set to take place in November. Both will serve as opportunities for members of the community to speak up on behalf of their elementary, middle and high schools that are at risk of closing or merging. Then, the final decision process will continue within Broward County Public Schools committees until the board’s final vote in January.
- Nov. 6 — Public meeting at Dillard High School
- Nov. 13 — Public meeting at Miramar High School
- Nov. 18 — School Boundary Advisory Committee votes on recommendation to the school board
- Dec. 10 — Superintendent makes final recommendations to school board
- Jan. 13 — Special school board meeting to adopt recommendations
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
