Pembroke Pines Charter School System
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Contact: Valerie Moran
Phone: 954.424.0048

What is Pembroke Pines Charter School System (PPCSS)?

The PPCSS is Florida’s first municipally-managed charter system providing a full public education. Located in southwest Broward County, PPCSS serves 4,250 students, selected by lottery, from pre-kindergarten through high school. The system consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school, with additional resources at the Academic Village, including a regional library, community college and a university campus. The Charter curriculum is accredited and has received superior ratings in the Governor’s A+ program. The City Commission acts as School Board; the Parks & Recreation Department runs cooperative physical education, arts and cultural programs; and the Public Services Department maintains all facilities.

When and why was it created?

PPCSS was established as a proactive response to unprecedented population growth and an overburdened school district. In 1992, the City recognized severe overcrowding and lagging performance in its existing schools were imminent. The County School District, which serves 265,000 students in 30 cities, was unable to launch timely plans to meet the City’s needs. In the fall of 1997, with the School Board’s assent, the City established its Charter School System and within seven months opened its first school.

How has the program improved the quality of life in your community?

PPCSS offers a free, superior quality public education and lifelong learning opportunities to residents of all ages:

• Academic program is pioneering—4,250 City and County students and their families enjoy a challenging curriculum, class size capped at 25, teacher-student mentoring, and expanded recreational and cultural programs.
• Students are thriving—each of the schools has surpassed state and district levels for reading, writing and math on Florida’s Comprehensive Achievement Test.
• Parents give and receive support—30 hours of volunteer service, continuing education and/or parenting workshops are mandatory.
• Entire community benefits—Academic Village partners, including a regional library, Broward Community College, Florida International University, and the River of Grass Cultural Center, bring broadened cultural and educational resources.

How is the PPCSS program outstanding or innovative?

1. Taking decisive steps to solve the schools crisis, the city revolutionized both the municipal development delivery system and public education by establishing a municipally-run charter system while expanding educational alternatives for all area residents.
2. Standing apart because the city manages it, streamlining operations, saving administrative fees and avoiding duplication.
3. The city’s innovative, rapid work and $60 million investment resulted in the project’s completion ahead of schedule and under budget—constructing 18 buildings, hiring 489 teachers and staff, developing curriculum, and establishing partnerships with cultural, academic and government institutions in five years.
4. This education initiative changed previous practice by establishing a community-based, public, tuition-free school system that provides an attractive alternative to the huge central district and its bureaucratic inefficiencies, as well as to the private for-profit charter model.
   

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   Success Stories

   American Indian Charter School	Classical Academy	Dobson Academy	Doral Academy	North Kenwood -Oakland Charter School	North Lawndale College Preparatory
   Octavio Paz Charter School	Passage Charter School	Pembroke Pines Charter School	Project for School Innovation	SEED Public Charter School	Somerset Academy Charter School

   University Charter School