January 2026

New role for old courthouse -- downtown charter school?

Happy New Year 2026! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season, so let us all look forward to a healthy and prosperous year ahead.

Fort Lauderdale continues to work has been working deliberately — and successfully — to build a bright future for our city.

We’ve expanded entertainment and recreational opportunities. We’ve created a vibrant downtown. We’ve invested heavily in resilient infrastructure and improved public safety. Now, I’d like for us to explore another opportunity — one that will help prepare our children for the fast-changing business world they will face as adults.

I’d like the city to consider a partnership to create a charter school downtown, a charter school that would focus on teaching AI skills to students from kindergarten through high school.

AI is already bringing about revolutionary changes in society and business. Not only can we ensure that our children are well-prepared to enter a business world where AI is center stage, but such a school would strengthen our local economy as well. Fort Lauderdale could become a national leader in educating for the future.

Earlier this month, I raised the idea with the rest of the City Commission during our annual goal-setting retreat. And, I have the perfect idea of where to locate it.

In a few years, when the new federal courthouse opens, the current facility downtown will become available. The federal government has asked the city if it has any uses for the property as it considers the building’s disposition.

It is a rare moment to think boldly about how a prominent civic site can continue serving the public good — this time by investing directly in education, innovation and workforce readiness.

In my State of the City speech in 2023, I initially raised the idea that the city should consider creating a charter school. I did so because we often hear both parents and businesses say they wish there could be better options for students and ask if there is any way the city could help improve the quality of education.

My idea then was that Fort Lauderdale should follow Pembroke Pines lead. That city — the second largest in the county — has operated a successful charter school system separate from the Broward County School District for decades.

My thoughts about this concept have refined since as AI has become more and more integrated into business and daily life. 

This isn’t about chasing headlines or jumping on the latest buzzword. It’s about responding to a reality that is already reshaping the economy around us.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an integral part of how work gets done — not only in technology firms, but across nearly every industry that drives local and regional growth.

AI is already embedded in healthcare: assisting with diagnostics, medical imaging and predictive care. It is transforming logistics and supply chains. In construction, AI helps design safer buildings, manage costs and improve energy efficiency. And in finance and insurance, it detects fraud, evaluates risk and analyzes complex data sets in seconds.

The students growing up today will enter a workforce where understanding how these systems work — and how to work alongside them — will be essential.

A downtown AI-focused charter school would help prepare students for a wide range of future careers.

Some students may pursue paths as data analysts, cybersecurity specialists or software developers. Others may apply AI skills to careers in healthcare technology, maritime logistics, climate resilience planning, smart construction, digital designndesign or advanced manufacturing. Still others could combine technology fluency with interests in law, public policy, business or entrepreneurship.

Just as important, entirely new roles are emerging. AI ethicists help organizations deploy technology responsibly. Automation specialists redesign workflows to improve productivity. Digital product managers bridge technical teams and real-world users. Systems integrators adapt AI tools to specific industries and local needs.

Placing this kind of school downtown reinforces that message. Education becomes connected to the life of the city itself.

And there are potential partners out there. Maybe one of the big tech firms would like to participate and put their name to the project. Or there is Florida Atlantic University.

Under its new president, Adam Hasner, FAU has expressed interest in broadening its presence in Fort Lauderdale. FAU is recognized for its strengths in engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and applied research and for aligning education with workforce needs.

Of course, this idea demands rigor. Any charter school must meet high academic standards, operate transparently and work collaboratively with community stakeholders.

Fort Lauderdale has never avoided complex challenges. The real question is whether we prepare our students to be passive users of that technology — or active leaders in shaping it.

Yours,

Dean