The City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach on Thursday approved an increase in spending authority for Dream Kids World, LC to cover an instructor-led theater program that city staff said was projected to exceed the city manager's $50,000 spending limit for the fiscal year.

The authorization lets the city manager pay the provider the additional amount needed this season so the program can continue; commissioners voted in favor of the spending increase during the meeting.

The move came after several students and parents urged the commission to preserve the program. “The theater makes it not a problem because it teaches us how to be confident in ourselves,” said 13‑year‑old Alexander Shalkhanov, who described his two‑and‑a‑half years in the class and praised instructors Irina and Maria. “When we heard the news that they want to close the theater, it was devastating to me and my friends.”

Parent speakers told commissioners the class builds teamwork and social skills. “We are over budget because so many kids want to be in this program,” said parent Zion Ben Ishai, urging the commission to find a way to keep it running.

Why it mattered: staff said the program’s enrollment exceeded projections and that instructor compensation under the city’s standard revenue split (instructor 70 percent / city 30 percent) would push instructor payments past the city manager’s $50,000 authority for the year. The item on the agenda (Resolution 9K) asked the commission to waive formal bidding and authorize additional spending to make the instructor whole for the season.

Discussion and staff direction: commissioners and staff separated the spending approval from wider programming questions. The city attorney warned that city‑funded programs should provide “meaningful access” and recommended an English component so the program would not be perceived as exclusionary: “There should be some English component to it so that it opens up the door to others that may be either directly or indirectly feel excluded,” the attorney said during the meeting.

Staff told commissioners the program originally began in English, later evolved into predominantly Russian by participant request, and that the current instructor said she would teach only if allowed to run a Russian class (or Russian+English), not English‑only. Staff said they have been searching for an English‑language theater instructor and would continue to pursue that option and report back to the commission.

Commissioners asked for clearer outreach and better vendor solicitation for future seasons. Several commissioners said they support expanding theater offerings to other languages (English and Spanish were mentioned) but emphasized that those program design decisions and any new contracts should be handled through staff and, if needed, the city’s procurement process or the annual budget process.

Formal action: The commission approved the spending‑authority increase so the provider can be paid for the current season; the vote was recorded as in favor by the full commission present.

Context and next steps: Staff said the program will remain active for this season and that the city is looking for additional instructors to offer a separate English program if demand and scheduling permit. Commissioners asked staff to return with recommendations on outreach, vendor selection and any procurement steps if the program continues to exceed the manager’s spending authority.