In a first-of-its-kind project, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, in partnership with Miami-Dade County, unveiled a new school and workforce housing in the upscale area of Brickell.
Miami-Dade school and county leaders recently gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to usher in the new Southside Preparatory Academy on Southwest Third Avenue.
The third largest school district is doing its part to tackle Florida’s affordable housing crisis by offering 10 units for teachers to teach and live on campus.
The new $39.2 million school was also built to alleviate overcrowding at nearby schools. It features a seven-story state of the art school for middle school students living in the area.
District officials said it is a first-in-the-nation campus and hopes it can be a model for the rest of the country.
“This is unique because it’s the first of its kind,” said MDCPS Chief Officer of Facilities Design and Construction Raul F. Perez.
The building includes 610 student stations, general and ESE classrooms, two computer labs, two science labs, science demonstration classrooms and art and music labs.
In addition, the facility houses administration offices, a teacher’s lounge, a media center, a kitchen and a dining room.
“This facility is one of a kind,” said Southside Preparatory Academy Principal Linette Tellez. “We are very excited to have two science labs as well as science demonstration classrooms. This building is set up for students to work in subject-specific classrooms. We have computer labs where students can be innovative and go beyond your typical classroom setting.”
Tellez said that the art room is equipped with a kiln and six pottery spaces where students can create their own pottery.
The music rooms are set up so ensembles can practice their pieces and the dance room has plenty of space for students to perform the dance moves that previously had to be done outside.
She said that the rooftop basketball court also doubles as a track, so students can practice track and field.
The school district and Miami-Dade County, which owns the land, collaborated on the project which cost roughly $35 billion through the General Obligation Bond.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava credits Commissioner Eileen Higgins and the county’s Housing and Community Development Department for pushing the project through.
“Southside Preparatory Academy will open its doors to nearly 1,000 students, while also housing teachers and their families,” Levine Cava said. “This bold partnership is a model for the future: tackling our housing affordability crisis, supporting educators, and creating opportunities for the next generation. Because when we invest in teachers and children, we invest in the future of our county.”
Higgins said what makes the project truly groundbreaking is the 10 affordable housing units for teachers.
“A smart solution to help us retain and support the educators who shape our children’s future,” she said. “This project represents transit-oriented development at its best, where families can live, work and play, and learn all in a once connected community.
“It’s one cohesive campus, so the idea is you’re now mixing residential affordability within close proximity to the Brickell station,” added Nathan Cogan, Director of Housing and Community Development in Miami-Dade County.