FOCUS ON 2020
Since the last SMART Update, seven schools have finished all work planned for their campuses, for a total of nine completed. In addition, 70 schools are actively under construction for their primary renovations projects.
Although the work underway is not always visible to the passing public, these upgrades are often the most beneficial to the health and safety of our students and staff. Within a school's walls, atop its roof or inside its control rooms, renovations like heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) replacements and fire sprinkler system upgrades are among the most critical renovations at schools when compared to other more visible work.
Whether it's the air quality or an added sense of security, the main focus is not about improving how a school looks, but the sense of well-being you feel when you are in it.
With 70 schools undergoing active construction, please enjoy watching some of the work that took place while students were away on winter break in this edition of the REEL SMART video update.
Nine schools are in the Construction Closeout phase. Some of the improvements made to the following schools include fire sprinkler upgrades, HVAC replacement and roofing restorations.
In addition to HVAC improvements and roofing repairs, McNicol Middle School also received an upgraded music space with the renovation of its band and resource rooms. The band room was repainted, and new floors, sinks, and cabinets were added. The resource room, which houses the technology used to record music, also received new floors and floor plugs.
Palm Cove Elementary School
Miramar Elementary School
Silver Shores Elementary School
Ever wonder what some of the improvements listed as part of your school’s Primary Renovations mean? For example, what is a building envelope? How is a fire sprinkler system upgraded? Why is getting a new HVAC unit so important? THE SCIENCE OF SMART gives you a better understanding of what it all means. Featured here are some of the most common items listed as part of a school's scope of work – along with how they operate and why we should care.
Improvements to heating, ventilation and air conditioning – also known as HVAC – are some of the most widespread enhancements being made to campuses Districtwide. This upgrade is often accomplished with the replacement of a chiller, a large air conditioning unit that turns hot air into cool air. Chillers collect unwanted heat from around the building and bring it back to the evaporator to be cooled. Refrigerant gas is then used to move the heat into the condenser, which then sends it into the atmosphere, cooling down the entire campus.
Replacing a chiller on a campus improves air quality, preventing headaches, allergies, and fatigue among students, teachers, and staff. More than 70 schools in the District are currently receiving HVAC improvements. This number will continue to grow as more schools begin construction.
In 2019, the SMART Program completed the renovation of 11 media centers. As one of the most utilized spaces on a school campus, housing a countless number of books, new technologies and a relaxed environment for students to learn outside the confines of a classroom, the media center is a popular renovation choice. More than 90 District schools will receive media center upgrades, many of which will be designed with vivid colors to improve attention and spark creativity.
The following schools either received a new media center or upgrades, including fresh paint, new flooring and modernized furniture:
• Annabel C. Perry Pre K-8
• Blanche Ely High School
• Castle Hill Elementary School
• Forest Hills Elementary School
• Griffin Elementary School
• Lauderdale Lakes Middle School
• Mirror Lake Elementary School
• Morrow Elementary School
• Pompano Beach Middle School
• Seagull Alternative High School
• Westwood Heights Elementary School
Pompano Beach Middle
Griffin Elementary School
Mirror Lake Elementary
The newly renovated media center at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach opened in October 2019. A ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Superintendent Robert Runcie was held to celebrate the milestone. The upgraded media center is outfitted with new flooring, shelving, ceiling tiles, furniture, and technology. This transformation gives students the opportunity to practice independent study outside of the classroom, mirroring a college environment. In addition to regular student usage, the media center is being used for parent nights, club meetings and preparation for the athletic season.
Students at Charles W. Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines are excited to use the newest building on their campus. The final touches on the 20-classroom building were completed while students were on winter break.
Principal Paula Peters is thrilled about moving teachers and their students out of the temporary portables they used while the building was being constructed.
“I was so excited to see the joy on our students' faces when they walked into the new building and to hear them share what makes them happy about the new technology and furniture,” said Principal Peters. “This is a great opportunity for our students and for our teachers, and we are truly appreciative here at Flanagan High School for the support of the community.”
Among the new features students are raving about include Promethean ActivPanel boards and collaborative furniture in every classroom. The Promethean boards are especially valuable for teachers, as they offer optimal viewing for students, multi-user interaction and traditional dry-erase writing. Students particularly love that their new furniture can be rearranged into different shapes and configurations when they are doing group assignments.
Vanessa Pena, an English teacher at Flanagan High, had this to say about the new addition:
“My students and I were very excited to be in the new building. I was personally impressed by all the technology, all the new furniture, and how the desks are able to be paired up. I know my students are excited about how clean and new everything is.”
The new classrooms were not the only improvements. Existing buildings also received necessary renovations, including a chiller and HVAC unit installation, window replacements, and roofing work.
Status: 100% Complete
Horizon Elementary School is one of 88 schools that has completed its SCEP projects. All items have been delivered and installed.
Some of the new tools now available to students and teachers include Recordex Interactive Systems, a digital poster maker, morning show equipment and laptops. The school also received classroom rugs, a badge maker, an outdoor PA system, printers, laptop carts and reading tables.
Items like the Recordex Interactive System enhance the classroom experience by using technology to transition from lesson to lesson with user-friendly navigation and easy to use features, such as the ability to mark-up live images, zoom in and out of the whiteboard, and export a lesson to PDF within seconds.
Laptops are one of the most popular items delivered to schools across the District because of the many ways they add to a student’s learning experience. Students at Horizon Elementary benefit from student-specific lessons, online collaboration and endless amounts of resources.
The School Choice Enhancement Program continues to provide the highest quality classroom experience for students, faculty and staff.
Students film the
morning show using
their new equipment.
Students practice
lessons on their
classroom laptops.
Students doing a math
exercise using their
classroom Recordex.
Find us on your favorite social media platforms to stay updated on all things related to the SMART Program!
The SMART team keeps the Broward County Public Schools community informed about progress made throughout the District by providing digital and printed publications detailing every school’s current status in the primary renovations process and School Choice Enhancement Program. Look for updates online or in your school's front office.