Council approves South Florida Autism School expansion to add adult services and day care

The Hialeah City Council voted to approve a conditional use permit and related zoning changes for an expansion of the South Florida Autism School, allowing the private K'12 charter school to add a three'story, 30,852-square-foot building and create new uses including a 45-child daycare and adult services for students older than 22.

The expansion was presented by Ivan Fajardo, project manager at Civic LLC Architecture, with school director Dr. Tamara Moody in attendance. Parents, students and a Miami-Dade school board member spoke in support; Christina de Leon, identified in the hearing as a former student, described the school as "a safe place filled with love and equality" and urged approval. School board member Robert Alonzo called the program an important partner to Miami-Dade County Public Schools and said the expansion would help aging-out students who need continued services.

Dr. Moody told the council the school currently serves 296 students and has capacity for four additional pupils; she said the proposed expansion would provide a "one-stop shop" with vocational training, life skills and therapies for adult students who have limited options after they turn 22. The council motion to approve the item carried on the roll call and the ordinance was adopted on second reading.

The project was presented as an amendment to a prior ordinance (No. 2015-60) that had limited enrollment to 400 students; the new conditional use permits and site plan changes will allow the additional building and program elements at 3751 West 108th Street in the BDH (Business Development) district. The approved plan includes space for adult training and behavioral therapy programs the school said are necessary to provide continuity of services as students age out of K'12 programs.