Representatives from Broward County Public Schools brought a resolution to the Pompano Beach City Commission on Oct. 14 asking city support for development of residential workforce housing on the 2.8485-acre Dave Thomas East Education Center site at 180 SW 2nd Street. The school board’s resolution (SBBC resolution 26-114) directs that any housing developed on the site be made available to qualified Broward County Public School employees.

What the school board presented
Armando Arana, SBBC coordinator of governmental affairs, and Rachel Daley from facility planning and real estate presented the resolution. Daley described the site history: the district closed the facility after structural issues were determined in 2022 and has the Florida Department of Education custody report pending review. SBBC representatives said the district is seeking a public-private partnership to redevelop the site into workforce housing and wants the units reserved for school district employees, noting workforce-housing pressures across Broward County and the district’s role as a large local employer. (Transcript: 979.65–1233.83)

Commission reaction and next steps
Commissioners expressed support, calling the proposal an example of repurposing vacant sites to serve local workers. Commissioner Perkins asked whether this is the school district’s first residential workforce-housing initiative in Broward; Arana and Daley said yes and indicated the countywide model could be replicated. Daley said the number of units has not yet been determined and will be developed in collaboration with the city to ensure compatibility and appropriate density. (Transcript: 1370.85–1436.22)

Provenance
- Presentation begins at transcript time ~979.65 where Broward County Public Schools staff introduced the resolution (block_id: "t:979.65").
- Resolution text and site description appear in staff presentation beginning ~1029 where Daley introduces the school's position and the 2.8485-acre parcel details (Transcript: 1029–1233).

Speakers (quoted)
- Armando Arana, Coordinator of Governmental Affairs, Broward County Public Schools — introduced the SBBC presentation and noted support from Superintendent V. Michael Caruso (Transcript: 1009.82–1045.36).
- Rachel Daley, Facility Planning & Real Estate, Broward County Public Schools — described the custody report recommendation and SBBC’s intent to pursue redevelopment for workforce housing, saying SBBC “hereby supports the development of residential workforce housing units on the 2.8485 acre Dave Thomas East Education Center site.” (Transcript: 1029.07–1233.835)

Why it matters locally
The plan proposes to make housing available to district employees — including teachers, custodians, bus drivers and cafeteria staff — addressing recruitment and retention concerns raised by the district. City staff and commissioners signaled willingness to collaborate, but details including number of units, density, zoning changes, and funding mechanisms remain to be negotiated.

Next steps
Broward County Public Schools will continue coordination with the city on site design, density and a public-private partnership approach; staff indicated future formal land-use and development approvals will return to the commission as the project advances.

Topics: workforce housing; school district land use; public-private partnership; local workforce retention