FYI Miami: January 25, 2024

Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

GRADUATION RATES RISE: Miami-Dade County Public Schools announced Tuesday that it had reached its highest graduation rate ever at 90.3% for the 2022-2023 school year, surpassing the state’s rate of 88%. This is an increase of 2.1 percentage points from the 88.2% rate of the 2021-2022 school year. The graduation rate for traditional schools increased to 94.2. According to data from the state, Hispanic students rose from 88.9% to 90.9%, Black students rose from 82.4% to 86.4%, students with disabilities rose from 86% to 88.%, economically disadvantaged students rose from 86.6% to 89.3%, and English language learners rose from 75.1% graduating to 80.1%.

DOUBLING IN SILENCE: Without a word, county commissioners last week OK’d spending $125.4 million on 10 existing outside service contracts that will nearly double their total costs. The contracts are for consultants planning six new rapid transit corridors, with 95% paid from the county’s transit surtax. The Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust had approved the higher spending of trust monies that it oversees while complaining it wasn’t given time to study the requests for more funds before an emergency meeting seeking approval. The county commission was told approval would “address any possibilities of higher costs and delays associated with new consultants needing to absorb and work performed to date by the original consultants.” The Department of Transportation and Public Works said to enhance prospects for federal funding for engineering and construction of the Northeast Corridor “it is imperative to achieve a 60% completion of the engineering design by August.”

SHORES SEEKS SEWERS: Miami-Dade County is taking over potential sewer service for 168 parcels of Biscayne Shores property from the City of North Miami with the aim of seeking sewer service for the area, which now relies on septic tanks. County commissioners last week approved the switch of the unincorporated land’s potential service from the city. The agreement states an aspiration to provide the service and the county is to seek state and federal funds to make it happen, with no guarantee that it ever will. Residents would still pay part of the cost. The City of North Miami says it had no plans for sewer service to that area, which has experienced severe flooding after rainstorms that affect the integrity of the area’s septic tanks. The area is bounded by Biscayne Boulevard, North Bayshore Drive, Northeast 108th Street and Northeast 110th Terrace. The county has been moving area by area to convert septic tank service to county sewer connections.