Res No 097-11-13411RESOLUTION NO.
97 -11 -13411
A Resolution of the Mayor and the Commission of the City of
South Miami, Florida, petitioning the Miami -Dade County
School Board to re -open J.R.E. Lee Alternative School located at
6521 SW 62 "d Avenue in the City of South Miami, Florida, to be
used as an elementary /community school.
Whereas, J.R.E. Lee Opportunity School was built in 1924 and served the South
Miami area as an elementary community school until the mid 1970's when it was
converted to a middle school to provide alternative educational placement in the southern
portion of Miami -Dade County; and
Whereas, the conversion from an elementary community school to an alternative
education school has placed, over the years, tremendous hardship on parents and students
in the South Miami community; and
Whereas, South Miami Kindergarten through 8`h grade students must walk an
average of 1.8 miles, in order to attend surrounding schools, where there have been rapes,
abductions, drownings in local canals, many child - pedestrian accidents, and dangerous
tropical thunderstorms; and
Whereas, the continuous increase in traffic flow along the children's walking route
makes the danger grow worse each continuing year; and
Whereas, in 1916, Marshall Williamson, a pioneer who moved to South Miami in
1912, donated a large parcel of land to build a community school which is now known as
the J.R.E. Lee Elementary School; and
Whereas, the City Commission wishes to hold on to the legacy of Marshall
Williamson who was a generous and visionary human being and who clearly wished the
best for the community that he regarded as his own; and
Whereas, the City Commission has learned that the J.R.E. Lee school closed its
doors in June 2011; and
Whereas, the City Commission understands the existing need in the immediate
neighborhood of J.R.E. Lee for an elementary /community school.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. The City Commission hereby petitions the Miami -Dade County
School Board to re -open the J.R.E. Lee Elementary /Community School and return it to
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Additions shown by underlining and deletions shown by overstrikin .
Res. No.'97 -11 -13411
its place in the history of South Miami where it can best serve the residents of this
community.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 14thday of June 2011.
ATTEST:
CTT-Y CLERK
WAMy Documents\resolutions \Resolution JRE Lee.beoley rev.doc
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APPROVED:
MAY R
COMMISSION VOTE:
4 -0
Mayor Stoddard:
Absent
Vice Mayor Newman:
Yea
Commissioner Palmer:
Yea
Commissioner Beasley:
Yea
Commissioner Harris:
Yea