n March 10, 1960, Dean Dessenberger, Chair of the Broward County School Board, proposed the development of the South Florida Educational Park on Forman Field in Davie. Plans called for a complex of schools for students from elementary to university level to be constructed on land that had been used as an air naval training base during World War II. Former Superintendents Dr. Myron Ashmore and Dr. William T. McFatter along with members of the Forman family were instrumental in the project.

Nova Middle School

Nova High, which graduated its first class in 1966, was the first school in the complex to open. It was followed by Nova Blanche Forman Elementary and Nova Eisenhower. When Nova Eisenhower Elementary first opened in 1967, it was temporarily housed in the old Fort Lauderdale High School on the corner of Broward Boulevard and Federal Highway. Nova Eisenhower's new facility opened in 1970. The school is now known as Nova Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School. There was no middle school initially. The two elementary schools served students in grades one through six, and the high school, grades seven through 12. In 1977 Nova Middle School opened its doors to 7th and 8th grade students. Sixth grade students shifted to the middle school the following year.

Funded by the Ford Foundation and referred to as the Nova Educational Experiment, students needed to pass a test to gain acceptance. Nova schools operated on a longer school calendar than others in the District and offered a self-paced learning atmosphere for self-motivated students. The schools were considered very progressive. Students were given Learning Activity Packets and instructors served as guides.  Today the Nova schools differ little from others in the district, but they continue to serve self-motivated students. In 2000, Nova High School was selected by Newsweek magazine as one of the top 100 high schools in the nation.

When the 1960-61 school year got underway, New River Junior High School students moved into their new school on Riverland Road. During the school’s inaugural year, housed in barracks on the Naval Air Campus, its mascot had been “The Tarpons.” But, with a new school building, it was thought that a new mascot was in order. A contest was held with students submitting possible names. “The Warriors” was selected. Today New River Middle School’s colors are teal and white and its mascot, “The Mariners,” in keeping with the school’s Marine Magnet Program.

Bethune Elementary School opened in 1960. The school was named for respected Florida educator, Mary McLeod Bethune. Ms. Bethune served as the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1924 to 1928.

In 1963 the new Fort Lauderdale High School opened in its present location on NE Fourth Avenue.

As the county continued to grow and attract new business and industry, District officials recognized that a skilled workforce was needed to meet labor market demands. The School Board approved construction of the first vocational-technical center in the mid-1960s.  The goal was to teach job training skills to adults and selected part-time high school students who had the desire and ability to benefit from an occupational training program.

Vocational Students

In September 1967, Sheridan Vocational-Technical Center opened in Hollywood with 200 students in six programs. Atlantic Vocational-Technical Center opened on farmland in Coconut Creek in 1973 with 450 students in 11 programs. Both centers continued to add buildings, students and programs; and in 1985, to keep pace with community growth, McFatter Vocational-Technical Center opened in Davie with 1,200 students.

The Instructional Television Center, which would be renamed BECON (Broward Education Communication Network) in 1998, signed on for the first time in 1967.  Owned and operated by the District, it was established through Title I funds, and initially, provided programming for culturally disadvantaged students and in-service training programs for teachers.

On August 1, 1970, the name of The Board of Public Instruction of Broward County, Florida was officially changed to The School Board of Broward County, Florida and an official seal was adopted. The School Board expanded to include seven members in 1974.

The population of Broward County increased by 63.5% between 1970 and 1980 –- from 620,100 to 1,018,257. As a result, the school district also grew.  Enrollment jumped from 117,109 in 1970, to 131,851 in 1980 -- an increase of nearly 15,000 students.

In the 1970s there was interest in seeing schools stay open during evening hours in order to meet the academic, recreational, cultural and vocational needs of communities. Margate city administrators and District officials worked in partnership to create Broward’s first community school at Margate Middle School.  Opening in 1971, it soon became the focal point of North Broward’s Hispanic community. English classes were offered four evenings a week at the school and it was only a short time before immigrants from other countries began registering for the free classes. Other classes offered included gymnastics for children, oil painting for adults, stained glass workshops and bookkeeping.  The school was also the site of many community-based forums.  By the mid-seventies, several more Broward middle schools and high schools offered viable community school programs for learners of all ages. When computers became available for student use in the 1980s, keyboarding/word processing classes also became popular at community schools.  The District now has 21 Community Schools and Adult Centers.

Piper High School

In 1972, Piper High School opened. Piper was named for inventor and local benefactor, William Thomas Piper who revolutionized the private plane industry by developing the Piper Cub, among other planes. Often referred to as the Henry Ford of aviation, Mr. Piper was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.

Twelve portable classrooms held Nob Hill Elementary students in 1973.  A permanent structure opened in 1975.

The state and the School Board authorized the formation of the District Advisory Committee (DAC) and School Advisory Committees (SAC) at schools in 1976. In 1971, the Governor’s Citizens’ Committee on Education had recommended that each school establish a SAC to ensure community involvement in the educational process. SAC was later renamed SAF, which stands for School Advisory Forum. DAC is the umbrella organization that oversees all School Advisory Forums. 

Although DAC is a volunteer organization, it is a vital part of the District and is included on the organizational chart.  The group brings recommendations, in the form of motions, to the School Board and its members sit on many of the District’s committees, councils and task forces. DAC, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2006, keeps community involvement at a high level in Broward Schools.

In 1977, Broward’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program was implemented -- years prior to 1990 state mandated requirements for such programs. Just over 500 students, most speaking Spanish, were served by over 100 teachers and paraprofessionals.  After the 1980 Cuban Mariel Boat Lift, the student population swelled resulting in the creation of elementary, middle and high school bilingual centers throughout the District.

Currently, Broward’s Bilingual/ESOL Program serves over 36,000 Limited English Proficiency students, representing 167 foreign countries and speaking 54 languages other than English.  Predominant languages spoken are Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese. The program serves students at every school in the District and uses a variety of instructional approaches that target linguistic, academic and cognitive development to increase student achievement.

A new Davie Elementary School opened in 1977. The Old Davie School, constructed in 1918, was used to house students from Griffin Elementary School. In 1979 when Griffin Elementary School opened, it was decided that Old Davie School would be the site of the South Area Office of Broward County Public Schools. The area office remained there until 1999. The school is now governed by the Old Davie School Historical Museum. On March 29, 1988, Old Davie School was officially recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Along with the expansion of facilities in the District during the 1970s, came the expansion of educational options for students.

Magnet Programs

One of those options for students in Broward County was the introduction of Magnet Programs. The first Magnet programs in the county were established in 1977 (Dillard High School’s School of Performing Arts and the Performing and Visual Arts Program at Walker Elementary) and Magnets continued to increase in number through the years.  For the 2005-06 school year, 63 Magnet programs are being offered, including two in Tech Centers. 

The programs offer students unique opportunities for concentrated, in-depth experiences and study in specific areas of interest. At the basis of each elementary magnet school is its "theme," which is integrated into all aspects of the curriculum. At the secondary level, specialized courses in the theme program are included in the daily schedule allowing students an in-depth study in a specific area of interest.

The school volunteer movement was one of the fastest growing efforts in education in the 1970s.  Parents and others in the community volunteered in Broward’s schools, but prior to 1979, volunteers were enlisted and their activities organized at the individual school level.   The value of volunteers to the education of students was clear, so in 1979, the District hired a Coordinator of Volunteer Services. 

With leadership on the District level it was thought that the number of volunteers could be increased, their talents better utilized to benefit students and that the number of hours donated by volunteers could be accurately documented. That proved to be the case.  In 1980 Broward’s student enrollment stood at 131,851 and the District had 3,623 volunteers.  Even though, by 1982 enrollment had dipped to 124,404, the number of school volunteers had more than doubled, reaching 8,720.  The program has continued to grow over the years benefiting Broward’s students.  During the 2004-05 school year the District had nearly 35,000 volunteers in its schools that provided 1,553,518 hours of service. 

Also in 1979, to meet a need in the community, the District began piloting supervised after school care programs at several elementary schools. Many parents also expressed a need for child-  care on workdays that school was not in session.   So by the mid-1980s non-profit government agencies also began to offer child care services at school sites. Following in the footsteps of the District’s successful After School Care Program, the need for a before school program was addressed by offering onsite child care at several elementary schools.  Principals from 14 pilot schools met to develop procedures and policies for implementing quality child care programs at schools. In the early days of the programs it is estimated that approximately 7,000 students were enrolled in the program.  In contrast, today the Before & After School Child Care programs serve over 23,000 children daily at 139 elementary schools and several middle schools and special needs centers.