Miami-Dade County Public Schools Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony at J.C. Bermudez Senior High School

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) hosted a ceremony this morning at J.C. Bermudez Senior High School to celebrate the start of a $36.2 million renovation that will include the addition of a new building as well as other upgrades.

Schools Superintendent Jose L. Dotres, Chief Facilities and Design Construction Officer Raul F. Perez, School Board member Danny Espino, J.C. Bermudez Doral Principal Edward R. Smith, school staff, and students gathered at the Doral school for the event.

“What is important to me is this goes beyond the academics, you’re going to have a gymnasium, a black box theater for drama and performances, a dance studio and a weight room,” said Dr. Dotres. “Sometimes we forget that students need activities, they need athletics to really thrive, and I know this high school has all the components that we need so that the student experience is a great one.”

The Pirtle Construction Company was recently awarded the construction contract for the General Obligation Bond (GOB) project which is expected to be completed in June 2026.
The scope of the work includes a new, three-story building with 85,000 square feet, totaling 617 new student stations, a 2,000-seat capacity gymnasium, a Little Theater/Black Box Theater, a gymnastics dance studio and multi-purpose room. Additionally, there will also be four vocational/business tech labs, 12 general classrooms and four science classrooms.

The existing Building 2 will be renovated with kitchen improvements, a covered dining area, a weight room and renovations to the wrestling room. Additionally, there will be new covered walkways.

"We’ve been waiting a while for this. Sadly, I won't be able to see the result but I'm glad I'm a part of this historical event,” said senior A.J. Rodriguez. “I'm part of the second graduating class so I'm excited to be here today.”

These school bond projects resulted from voter approval of the $1.2 billion General Obligation Bond in 2012. Funds from the bond are being used to modernize and construct school buildings throughout the District, expand student capacity, enhance facility safety, and provide technology upgrades at all schools.
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TOP CAPTION: Pictured center: Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres, School Board Member Danny Espino and J.C. Bermudez Doral Principal Edward R. Smith are joined by region officials and students for the ground-breaking ceremony.