FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 9, 2015

CONTACT: Daisy Gonzalez-Diego
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
305-995-2060

MIAMI-DADE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES THREE HISTORIC ITEMS, ADVANCES PRIORITIES

The Miami-Dade School Board approved three key items today that will enhance and improve the quality of life for educators, students, families, community businesses and the local economy. These items will maintain competitive teacher salaries, improve business opportunities for minorities and enhance the quality of school buildings.

The School Board took a major step forward to ensure that Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) teachers remain among the highest paid in the state. Under the new salary schedule, teachers will transition into a compensation plan that will allow for raises in the future, partly based on performance, as per state statute. With today’s item approval, approximately 85 percent of the school district’s workforce will be under contract.

“Providing compensation increases that strive toward equity while maintaining or reducing healthcare costs, reflects both honest, respectful negotiation and collaboration around the most important issues impacting our teachers and support staff members,” said Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho.

The School Board today also reinstated the Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise program to promote equal opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses and bring about meaningful change in the school district’s business practices.

The passage of the $1.2 billion general obligation bond (GOB) in 2012 mandated that schools would receive construction and digital technology improvements as well as support local economic recovery to be shared equitably. To build upon the guidelines of the GOB, M-DCPS in partnership with local groups spearheaded a much-needed disparity study to ensure equity in business opportunities with the school district.

M-DCPS created a Board-approved Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and commissioned a disparity study to examine discrimination in contracting. With disparities found in contracting but not in subcontracting, the Superintendent commissioned a separate disparity study by renowned expert in the field, Dr. Thomas Boston, which uncovered additional disparities in subcontracting. The report was drafted outlining the findings of disparities in prime contracting, construction-related professional services and design and construction-related professional service subcontracts. Phase one of the study was approved with all deliverables recommended in place. The District plans to roll out details on Phase two of the Disparity Study in the coming weeks.

“I am equally proud of the progress we have made with the disparity report. I consider this one of my greatest achievements as superintendent. A promise made, is a promise kept,” added Carvalho.

Lastly, the School Board approved $42 million worth of GOB funded projects. These projects include renovations at several schools and the award of a construction contract for the replacement of Frederick Douglass Elementary and Bunche Park Elementary. In addition, as part of its second and final budget hearing the Board adopted the Five-Year Capital Plan for FY15-16 through FY19-20. This plan provides additional project allocations over the upcoming five-year period totaling approximately $113 million. These appropriations were a result of prudent financing strategies, a slight increase in local revenues including impact fees, access to approximately $5 million in federal bonds as well as continuing partnerships with local governments to maximize the use of public dollars, all of which both supplement and complement GOB funding.

Funding will also focus on student capacity in areas of the school district still experiencing growth, including, but not limited to, the northeast Miami-Dade corridor communities, Doral, the western section of Hialeah and southwest Miami-Dade. New student stations in these growing areas allow M-DCPS to have a presence, remain competitive, and enhance its ability to roll out new and innovative school choice options for parents and students alike.

The current five-year plan enables the delivery of five new facilities, provides seed money for the master planning and design of a performing arts auditorium at one of the District’s magnet schools, and supplements current funding at several existing facilities to address additional critical needs. Other funded improvements include specific classroom upgrades such as lighting, surge protection, HVAC enhancements and media center renovations at 82 schools across the District.

 

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15-DGD/044/DF

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