121 RESOLUTION NO.
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3 A Resolution of the Mayor and the Commission of the City of
4 South Miami, Florida, petitioning the Miami -Dade County
5 School Board to re -open J.R.E. Lee Alternative School located at
6 6521 SW 62 "d Avenue in the City of South Miami, Florida, to be
7 used as an elementary /community school.
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9 Whereas, J.R.E. Lee Opportunity School was built in 1924 and served the South
10 Miami area as an elementary community school until the mid 1970's when it was
11 converted to a middle school to provide alternative educational placement in the southern
12 portion of Miami -Dade County; and
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14 Whereas, the conversion from an elementary community school to an alternative
15 education school has placed, over the years, tremendous hardship on parents and students
16 in the South Miami community; and
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18 Whereas, South Miami Kindergarten through 8d' grade students must walk an
19 average of 1.8 miles, in order to attend surrounding schools, where there have been rapes,
20 abductions, drownings in local canals, many child - pedestrian accidents, and dangerous
21 tropical thunderstorms; and
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23 Whereas, the continuous increase in traffic flow along the children's walking route
24 makes the danger grow worse each continuing year; and
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26 Whereas, in 1916, Marshall Williamson, a pioneer who moved to South Miami in
27 1912, donated a large parcel of land to build a community school which is now known as
28 the J.R.E. Lee Elementary School ; and
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31 Whereas, the City Commission wishes to hold on to the legacy of Marshall
32 Williamson who was a generous and visionary human being and who clearly wished the
33 best for the community that he regarded as his own; and
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35 Whereas, the City Commission has learned that the J.R.E. Lee school closed its
36 doors in June 2011; and
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38 Whereas, the City Commission understands the existing need in the immediate
39 neighborhood of J.R.E. Lee for an elementary /community school.
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41 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
42 COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, that:
43
44 Section 1. The City Commission hereby petitions the Miami -Dade County
45 School Board to re -open the J.R.E. Lee Elementary /Community School and return it to
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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 day of 2011.
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM
AND SUFFICIENCY:
CITY ATTORNEY
WAMy Documents \resolutions \Resolution JRE Lee.bmley rey.doc
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APPROVED:
MAYOR
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Stoddard:
Vice Mayor Newman:
Commissioner Palmer:
Commissioner Beasley:
Commissioner Harris: