The U.S. Department of Education’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program announced this week that Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) was among the 32 grant award national winners for 2017. M-DCPS was one of only four districts in Florida to win the award and one of only three districts nationally to receive the full award amount of $15 million over five years.
“This grant will provide $15 million over the next five years to greatly enhance programming and educational opportunities at three schools in our district, with Barbara Goleman Senior High School becoming a Mega Magnet,” said School Board member for District 4, Perla Tabares Hantman, while revealing the new program during the October 4 Miami Lakes Town Council meeting.
The current 2017-18 school year will be utilized as a planning year in which personnel, equipment, and curriculum will be galvanized into action. Goleman will begin accepting students into its new, district-wide, STEM magnet programs for the 2018-2019 school year.
The new magnets, which will have multiple strands designed to increase rigor and promote higher academic achievement include: Information Systems Technology; Digital Marketing; Financial Technologies (FinTech); Cybersecurity; and AP Capstone.