LTC 066-2018 Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Miami Beach ServiesOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # LETTER TO COMMISSION
066-2018
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City C mission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: February 12, 2018
SUBJECT: Voluntary Pre -Kindergarten Miami Beach Services
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to update the Mayor and Commissioner on the
status of the City of Miami Beach Senior funded prekindergarten classes at Biscayne Elementary
and Fienberg Fisher K-8 Center.
Since the Education Compact implementation on January 16, 2008, the City of Miami Beach has
collaborated with The School Board of Miami -Dade County Public Schools to improve educational
opportunities for youth in the City. On December 9, 2015, the City Commission passed and
adopted Resolution No. 2015-29222, authorizing the City Manager to negotiate an agreement with
M-DCPS to provide funding for one prekindergarten classroom each at Biscayne Elementary School
and Fienberg Fisher K-8 Center. First year funding beginning in school year 2016-17 provided
$206,558, and an additional two years (2017-18 and 2018-19) of funding at $140,402 per school
year. State funding for prekindergarten provides a three-hour program from 8:30 am to 11:20 am,
Monday through Friday. In addition, M-DCPS offers a prekindergarten enrichment program from
11:20 am through 1:50 pm. In the two classrooms identified in the agreement, CMB funds the
prekindergarten enrichment program to operate under the same procedures as all M-DCPS
prekindergarten enrichment programs. Class size for each class is limited to 20 students per
classroom with a ratio of 1 to 10.
Prekindergarten services offered at Biscayne Elementary School and Fienberg Fisher K-8 Center
may be accessed by City of Miami Beach resident children from the four targeted schools (Biscayne
Elementary School, Fienberg Fisher K-8 Center, North Beach Elementary School and South Pointe
Elementary) following M-DCPS registration and lottery procedures. The purpose of the
prekindergarten services program, known as the VPK program, is to provide four-year-old children
with a variety of meaningful learning experiences in environments that give them opportunities to
create their own knowledge, through initiatives shared with supportive adults. The program's
curriculum framework focuses on active learning, early literacy, adult -child interactions, the daily
routine, the learning environment, and assessment.
The below chart provided by M-DCPS on February 9, 2018, provides enrollment information for the
current 2017-18 school year for all prekindergarten programs available at M-DCPS public schools
located in Miami Beach:
0321 Biscayne Elementary
1 class
(17 youth)
1 City of Miami
Beach class
(21 youth)
1 Title I class
1 class
(14 youth)
0761 Fienberg/ Fisher K-8 Center
(20 youth)
1 City of Miami
Beach class
(16 youth)
3741 North Beach Elementary
2 classes
(36 youth)
1 class
1 class
5091 South Pointe Elementary
(10) 4's &
(19 youth)
(10) 3's youth
The current Agreement is effective through June 30, 2019. Amendments to the Agreement require
the approval of both parties, and the Agreement may be terminated a minimum of thirty (30)
business days written notification prior to April 15 of the corresponding school year.
If you have any questions, or need additional information, please feel free to contact me.
KGB/LDR
C: Executive Staff
Dr. Leslie Rosenfeld, Chief Learning Development Offi