Rapid Suburban Growth Strains Schools And Cities

As both a southern city and the nation's gateway to Latin America, Miami has long had a majority of children of color in its schools. Bolstered by its history and geography, along with good weather and a healthy economy, the Miami metropolitan area grew rapidly in the 1990s. By 2000, almost 3.9 million lived in the region’s two counties, Miami-Dade and Broward. The region’s school enrollment grew even faster, becoming poorer and more racially diverse in the process. Rapid, unbalanced growth—coupled with the end of decades-old desegregation plans in the region’s school districts—is contributing to the segregation of the greater Miami schools by income and race. No part of the region is immune from its harmful effects.