Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Rafael Villalobos met with community members Wednesday, Oct. 14, at a meet-and-greet hosted by the José Milton Foundation.

The afternoon gathering, organized by foundation President Ana Veiga Milton, brought together parents, donors and community leaders to meet the new superintendent, who took office Sept. 2 and now leads the nation's third-largest school district.

The M-DCPS Foundation said the event also marked the launch of the A+ Society, a new initiative intended to support Miami-Dade students and teachers.

The foundation has not publicly detailed how the A+ Society will operate or what membership will involve.

Villalobos brings 32 years of district experience

Villalobos, 54, began his career as a teacher at South Dade Senior High School and spent 32 years working for Miami-Dade County Public Schools before becoming superintendent.

The School Board selected him unanimously in July to succeed former Superintendent Jose Dotres, whose contract had been scheduled to run through Feb. 14, 2027.

Villalobos earns an annual salary of $385,000, according to WLRN.

Before his appointment, he served as South Region superintendent, overseeing more than 100 schools and approximately 80,000 students.

He previously led John A. Ferguson Senior High School, where graduation rates reached 99%. He was named Principal of the Year in 2020, according to the school district.

Enrollment losses and budget pressures challenge district

Villalobos took office as Miami-Dade schools faced declining enrollment and tightening finances.

Traditional public schools opened the academic year with 215,078 students, approximately 15,100 fewer than the previous year, according to the Miami Herald.

The School Board approved a roughly $7.4 billion budget Sept. 9, a decrease of more than 3% from the previous year. Declining enrollment contributed to the reduction.

At his Sept. 8 installation ceremony at the Fillmore Miami Beach, Villalobos outlined priorities that included increasing enrollment, improving student reading proficiency and securing better compensation for district employees.

He also paused a review process that had placed more than two dozen under-enrolled schools at risk of closure. In a letter to parents, Villalobos said he would reassess the process and its potential effects on students and families.

"When we strengthen a student, we strengthen a family," Villalobos said during the ceremony, according to WLRN. "When we strengthen a family, we strengthen a neighborhood."

November referendum could shape school funding

The district's financial outlook also depends partly on a November property tax referendum that would renew funding for public schools.

The measure carries a projected financial impact of $569.5 million, with approximately 88% designated for instructional personnel compensation and 12% for school security, according to district budget documents cited by the Herald.

The district has not publicly released a complete list of schools considered for potential closure.

Families attending Miami Beach Senior High School, Nautilus Middle School and Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center could be affected by districtwide decisions about staffing, school budgets and academic programs. However, those schools have not been identified in the available reporting as closure candidates.

Meanwhile, the M-DCPS Foundation, led by CEO Erin M. Sicker, said it plans to release additional information about the A+ Society as the initiative develops.