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PROGRAM PRACTICE:
Offer Commuter Schools (aka Special Interest Schools) to Expand Interdistrict School Choices
In response to fluctuating neighborhood populations and to provide choice options to parents working in the downtown area, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) opened several commuter schools. Commuter schools:
- offer a school environment within or adjacent to major employment sectors,
- accept students from anywhere inside or outside the district,
- may be theme-focused,
- offer before and/or after school programs available for a fee that coincide with parents’ work hours, and
- benefit parents because of the extra time they spend with their child while commuting, and allow parents quick access to attend daytime school activities.
The first commuter school, Ada Merritt K-8 International Studies School, opened in 2002 and is highly successful, boasting a 100-plus student wait list. Three other commuter schools are in operation: two satellite learning centers located in business complexes (Mt. Sinai Medical Center and Assurant Group Solutions) and Henry West Elementary, which is adjacent to the University of Miami and serves university employees’ children.
Commuter schools promote strong partnerships with the business community. A win-win relationship results when choice options for parents increase while the host business’s workforce becomes more stable. Businesses hosting commuter schools report decreased employee absenteeism, attributing it to the parent’s responsibility to get the child to school.
Mentorships and internships for students have been a boost to the program—a result of the business community’s strengthened commitment to education. “I think they [business community] have this affinity for the school district as a consequence of this endeavor, and when you do need to ask them to step up to the plate, usually they're already there standing,” notes Michael Bell, assistant superintendent for specialized programs.
With regard to creating commuter schools, Mr. Bell recommends:
- implementing a proven program,
- reviewing district over-capacity choice programs and using the results to guide the commuter school’s program selection,
- surveying parents whose children might attend the proposed commuter school, and
- maintaining flexibility in program design and teacher contracts to help the commuter school succeed.
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