PPB-TV 63 was purchased by the Broward School District in 2000.  The cable station, operated by BECON (Broward Education Communications Network), provides non-commercial, educational programming for the diverse Broward community.

Western High 9/11 Memorial

Just as the rest of the world was shaken by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, so were the students and staff of Broward County Public Schools.  In response to the tragedy a host of patriotic programs, events and projects were held that taught students what it means to be an American.  In addition to simultaneously reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with 52 million public school students across the country, Broward County students and teachers demonstrated their love for America by raising money to support relief efforts, writing letters and drawing pictures that were sent to the heroes of 9/11 and the family members of victims.

The District added 90 new, air-conditioned school buses to its fleet in 2001. In 2000 the Florida legislature mandated that school buses ordered after December 31, 2000 have seatbelts.   The purchase of the new buses made the District one of the first counties to put the safety-compliant vehicles on the road.

In a continuing effort to reach out to people of all cultures, during the 2001-02 school year the Broward School District became the first in Florida to translate its Web site (www.browardschools.com) into three languages.  In addition to English, portions of the site may be viewed in Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese.  That same year,  NetTV was added to the site allowing visitors to the site to watch videos of school and District events on their home computers.  NetTV Sports followed the next year providing video highlights of sporting events.

In 2001, Broward Virtual Education (BVEd) was established by BECON and it continues to grow everyday.  Initially, the online courses taught by Broward teachers were only available to high school students, but in 2005, an online middle school was also launched.  Students may learn at their own pace at school, at home, wherever and whenever they choose.  BVEd’s high school and middle school curricula are accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2004, BVEd won the grand prize in the Non-Profit Sector Category of the Cisco Growing with Technology Award.

During the 2002-03 school year over 266,000 students were enrolled in Broward County Public Schools.  In an effort to keep-up with an ever-increasing enrollment, Broward opened 11 new school buildings during the school year, a record number for the District.  Four new Charter schools also opened that year.

Sixty-six Broward County schools received the Florida Department of Education’s most prestigious award for community involvement for the 2002-03 school year – the largest group of Broward schools to earn that honor up until that time.  The Five Star School Award is presented annually to schools that have shown evidence of exemplary family, school and community involvement.  SeventyBroward schools earned the honor for the 2007/8 school year.

A new technology project initiated in 2002 enables parents to keep up with their children’s progress at school on a daily basis.  Available to students and parents across the District, Virtual Counselor can be accessed through the District’s Web site.  After a few simple clicks, parents and students can access grades, attendance records, test scores, class rank and much more.  If a parent finds something out of the ordinary, they can schedule an appointment with a school guidance counselor.

Joe Balchunas	Henry Brown III

Broward County Schools made history when Henry Brown III from Hallandale Adult Community Center was named Florida Teacher of the Year 2002.  It was the first time a county in Florida had back-to-back state teachers of the year.  In 2001, Joe Balchunas, a teacher at Fairway Elementary School was the Florida Teacher of the Year 2001. Mr. Balchunas is currently principal at Chapel Trail Elementary School.

Digital Learning Environment project

Four Broward schools, Monarch and Miramar high schools, Attucks Middle School and Broward Estates Elementary School served as pilot schools for a Digital Learning Environment project during the 2003-04 school year. Each student at the four schools was provided with a laptop computer for the duration of the project to function as his or her notebook, calendar, homework pad and electronic textbook.

Community involvement, including the business community, has always been encouraged in Broward schools.  A new program launched in 2004 is unique in that it enables business executives to share their knowledge of business planning, benchmarking, strategic planning and other business management strategies with principals who can then use that knowledge to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their schools. Schools are not the only benefactor of this innovative program.  The entire community benefits from improved schools and business leaders secure a better-prepared future workforce.  The program is the result of the collaborative efforts of the District, the Broward Alliance and The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

District Volunteers

The hurricane season of 2004 was a memorable one.  Four major storms hit the state causing extensive damage and generating much financial and emotional hardship for thousands of Florida residents.  Broward County escaped relatively unscathed and the generosity extended by both staff and students to the victims of the storms was extraordinary.

Money was raised and school supplies, food, water and clothing were collected and transported to the affected areas of the state. District workers who volunteered to be away from their homes and families traveled to Orange and St. Lucie counties to remove downed trees and clear debris at school facilities.

District officials received the prestigious Florida Commendation Medal Award

Using its telecommunication services and expertise, the District’s Education Technology Services (ETS) Conferencing Services provided valuable collaborative tools for interagency communication throughout the state.  The team secured services for emergency use and worked with equipment manufacturers to provide an on-going and constant line of communication during the storm season.  For their service, District officials received the prestigious Florida Commendation Medal Award, a military honor, for meritorious service to the Florida Army National Guard.

In December 2004 a giant tsunami hit Asia causing massive loss of life and leaving thousands homeless.  Again, Broward schools’ staff and students responded.  Numerous fundraising projects were held across the county at schools and district worksites. Thousands of dollars were raised for relief efforts provided by UNICEF, the Red Cross and other organizations.

In 2005, The College Board notified Stranahan High School that it had been identified as having more African-American students succeed in AP psychology than any school in the world.

During the 2005-06 school year two new schools are scheduled to open -- Coral Cove Elementary School in Miramar and a brand new Gulfstream Middle in Hallandale.

With 262 schools, centers and charter schools, and over 274,000 students, the Broward County School District is the sixth largest in the nation, and the largest fully accredited district in the country. Enrollment is on the rise with an expected increase of over 5,000 students each school year.

A five-year long-range plan has been approved by the School Board that will provide $2.9 billion in estimated capital revenues for 18 new schools, three centers and 148 classroom addition projects to meet projected growth and class size reduction requirements.  This ambitious construction plan also includes 17 replacement schools and numerous remodeling, renovation and indoor air quality projects throughout the district.

As we enter the 2005-06 school year, the District’s 90th year educating the children of Broward County, we will look back on 90 years of educational excellence – but with student achievement on the rise, we will also look forward.  With the continued support of teachers, support staff, administrators, students, volunteers, business partners and community members, there is no limit to what we can achieve during the next 90 years.