The Doral City Council approved moving forward on a Memo of Understanding with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) August 8 to increase school safety in Doral.
Following the tragedy earlier this year at Parkland, city leadership has diligently explored viable solutions to ensure the safety of our students, while being mindful of existing jurisdictions. With this MOU, the city will partner with M-DCPS to assign school-based law enforcement officers to four Doral public schools.
Dr. Ronaldo Espinosa K-8 Center, Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center, John I. Smith K-8 Center, and Dr. Toni Bilbao Preparatory Academy will now have an officer present on all school days. The primary mission of these sworn and armed officers will be to support the M-DCPS by providing a visible deterrent to crime and a safe learning environment for all students and staff.
“It’s important that our students feel safe when they go to learn and that parents feel that their children are being protected,” stated Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez.
“This partnership with the School Board is certainly a step in the right direction as we come together for the common goal of achieving that secure and conducive school environment that our families deserve.” Mayor Bermudez also was just recognized by the school board for the quality of public schools in Doral and his commitment to academic progress in the city.
This agreement will run until June 30, 2019, the end of school board’s fiscal year 2018-2019, during which the School Board will provide the city with funding in the amount $35,088 per school, for a total of $140,352. After this incoming school year, there is an option of two separate one-year renewals for the school board’s Fiscal Year 2019-2010 (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020) and the school board’s Fiscal Year 2020-2021 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021).
The city is currently in negotiations with charter schools in Doral to potentially move forward on a separate MOU for similar school safety services. That proposed MOU will go to before Council for their consideration very soon.
