Lauderhill tables Safe Promise school partnership after questions about grant management

The Lauderhill City Commission on April 14 tabled a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Broward County Public Schools to create Safe Promise student clubs in Lauderhill schools, citing unresolved questions about how grant funds tied to the Lauderhill Peace 365 initiative have been managed.

Commissioner John T. Hutch Hodgson moved to table the item for further review; the motion carried. Commissioners said they want a public workshop to examine the governance and financial controls before authorizing the city manager to execute the MOU. City Manager Kenny Hobbs confirmed the matter will be scheduled for a forthcoming workshop and that a pause had been placed on related activities until the commission reviews the record.

Broward County School Board chair Debbie Hixson provided a written message read into the record by staff, expressing the district’s interest in collaborating on the clubs and thanking the city for the proposed partnership. School district staffers who described the Safe Promise model — Unique Brown and Jabari Akil from the district’s equity and school climate team — said the program trains student leaders and faculty advisors, promotes conflict resolution and peer‑to‑peer prevention, and connects clubs to national Safe Promise resources.

City presenters and MOU proponents said planned activities include training for student leaders and faculty advisors, youth‑led community conversations, field trips and a “peace garden” and quilt project. The city’s plan named initial pilot sites: Lauderhill 6‑12, Parkway Middle, Royal Palm Elementary, Castle Hill Elementary and Turner Paul Turner Elementary. Partners identified in the presentation included the Children’s Services Council of Broward County and the United Way of Broward County.

Commissioners who voted to table said the pause reflects specific, local concerns about the management and allocation of grant funds that support the Peace 365 work. Commissioner Richard Campbell said staff had been asked about the issues and that public resolution was needed before the program moves forward. The item will return after staff compiles the requested documentation and the commission holds the workshop.

Why this matters: Safe Promise is a student‑led violence‑prevention model used nationally; the proposed local rollout links school clubs to a citywide Peace 365 campaign. The commission’s decision to table the MOU shows the city intends to review governance and financial oversight before entering a formal partnership with the district.

What’s next: staff will prepare materials for a public workshop requested by the commission and return the MOU for consideration once commissioners’ questions about grant management are addressed.