The Miami Herald

Posted on Thu, May. 04, 2006

KENDALL

New schools on the way

More schools are planned for the Greater Kendall area, a school board member told residents at the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Association meeting.

BY YUDY PINEIRO
ypineiro@MiamiHerald.com

Miami-Dade County School Board member Ana Rivas Logan told Kendall residents at a Kendall Federation Homeowner Associations meeting Tuesday that three new elementaries, three middle schools, one K-8 center and three high schools are planned for the area.

''When I first got onto District 7, we had the most overcrowded schools,'' she said. 'I said: `This is not good.' ''

But help is on the way for the Kendall and West Kendall area under Miami-Dade County Public School's five-year capital improvement plan, which is not fully funded.

''Because of the growth in District 7, 11 new schools are going to be built,'' said Fernando Albuerne, administrative director of facilities planning. "We don't have any other district that has this number of new schools.''

Some of the schools that will be relieved by the three new elementary schools are Gilbert Porter, Jack D. Gordon, Kendale Lakes, Hoover, Bent Tree and Beckham.

New middle schools should scale back overcrowding at Kenwood K-8, Glades, Arvida, Paul Bell, W.R. Thomas, Lamar Curry, Redland, Hammocks, Ammons and Richmond Heights middles.

Felix Varela, Miami Sunset, Miami Southridge, Miami Killian and Miami Palmetto will benefit from the three new high schools.

Some schools will have themes with special training programs in law enforcement, construction and other fields. There are also plans for all-girl and all-boy schools.

''We're really cranking out the schools,'' Logan said, adding that the school system promised 15 last year and delivered 18.

Logan assured residents that the plan takes into account the area's growth, but added that ''although we think we're growing because we live in Kendall, public schools are in declining enrollment'' countywide.

But the plan does not account for the growth that will occur if the Urban Development Boundary Line moves west.

''We are just now tackling problems, if we move the line we will be set back,'' said Logan, a staunch opponent of moving the UDB.

Logan said that besides new schools, they are adding on more stations to existing schools in hopes to accommodate the overflowing population of students.

She said more could be done if the school system was funded properly.

''If you look at our charts, we're either 45th, 46th, or 47th nationwide in funding,'' she said. "All these programs that we put into effect really cost money.''

Logan suggested residents lobby state legislators to put more money in schools.

Also Tuesday, Miami-Dade Police Kendall District Maj. Grace O'Donnell told residents the department is considering changing district boundaries -- coinciding with the mid-year start of the new Cutler Bay squad -- to help the overloaded neighboring Hammocks district.

New boundaries and change date have not been set, she said.

The real problem, O'Donnell said, is "We have too many calls. What we need is more manpower. More than 70 percent of our manpower is on the street, but still that is not enough.''