School board, community leaders gather for iPrep groundbreaking
November 9, 2017
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho promised to increase school capacity in 2012. As of Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, Carvalho can finally tell Krop he kept his promise.
“What I know is these days, if you change nothing, that is its death,” Carvalho said in 2015 in reference to community concerns over the construction. “I can promise that the best days of Krop are not behind us.”
In 2012, nearly 70% of Miami-Dade County residents voted in favor of a General Obligation (GO) Bond, which increased taxes for Dade County homeowners. According to Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), the GO Bond was issued for $1.2 billion.
“Never has a bond like this been so successful [nationwide],” Carvalho said. “A promise that we made long ago is a promise that we’ve kept.”
The original plan was to build the iPrep Academy on Highland Oaks Middle School’s soccer field. However, after community backlash and pressure from Krop’s Student Government Association (SGA) last year, Carvalho announced he would recommend building the school on Krop property.
Greeted by NJROTC cadets and a Star Magnet string quartet, City of Aventura officials, MDCPS staff, Krop administration and community members came together to break ground on the iPrep’s construction on Tuesday.
The ceremony opened with SGA President Nathaniel Manor’s remarks, which emphasized Krop’s excellence in the four As: academics, athletics, activities and arts.
“Even though I won’t physically be here to see the doors of the iPrep building open to eager students city-wide, I am beyond excited to see the legacy of Krop enhanced with such a unique establishment and the success that it will instill in the incoming students,” Manor said in his speech.
Following Manor’s remarks, NJROTC cadet Yonatan Ramim and Star Academy Chorus singer Toni-Rae Forbes led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and the “Star Spangled Banner,” respectively (the recording of Forbes singing is below).
“The navy cadets are impressive. The musicians, the cheerleaders are impeccable,” Carvalho said, referring to the performances he had witnessed. “The singing of the national anthem was inspiring… You [all] are a mere reflection of the very best of our community.”
Introduced by Carvalho, school board representative Martin Karp spoke at the ceremony, highlighting his excitement and optimism about the new school. Karp argued that although Krop may be an excellent school, the work yet to be done cannot be ignored.
“What I’ve always found as a school board member is that people say Krop is a great school, so you’re fine,” Karp said. “However, what we realize is that you can’t just run on those qualities. We recognize that in our changing work, we can look back, but we must also look forward. We cannot rest on the past. We have to come up with ways to grow.”
Following the speeches, attendees were ushered outside to the digging site, located south of the bicycle parking area. White hardhats imprinted with the MDCPS logo and gold-painted shovels were neatly placed on a table ready to be used. After lining up behind a pile of sand, which was placed for the ceremony, diggers struck the ground, which prompted audience applause. Senior class president Brittany Steinfeld, who attended the ceremony and dug, is appreciative of the opportunity that Krop has been given.
“It was nice to be recognized as a school for the work that we do,” Steinfeld said. “I’m glad the district sees Krop as a valuable investment for projects like these, and I hope that the construction of the iPrep will benefit students down the road.”
The estimated completion of the iPrep’s construction is Fall 2018.
