WLRN Public Media | By Natalie La Roche Pietri

The Miami-Dade school board is exploring the possibility of transforming underused school sites into early learning centers.

The initiative is an effort to give existing infrastructure a second life, as dwindling enrollment numbers in the district lead to more empty spaces in schools.

“This is not just about buildings,” said Miami-Dade school board member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, who introduced the measure on Wednesday. “This is about vision. This is about leveraging opportunity.”

Early learning education ranges from mere months-old babies to four year olds. Studies show it’s a period vital to setting students up for long-term academic success.

This story was originally produced by WLRN, South Florida’s only public radio station at 91.3 FM, as part of a content sharing partnership with MIA Media Group. Read more at WLRN.org