Howard Hepburn, Superintendent, Broward County Public Schools

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Howard Hepburn, Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, about how Florida’s expanding School Choice landscape is reshaping competition across K-12 education. Hepburn discussed how the district is aligning education pathways with workforce needs in aviation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, while responding to enrollment pressures through consolidation and program review. He emphasized that adaptability is now essential for public education systems navigating rapid change. “Innovating is not just a one-time thing, it’s continuous throughout the year,” Hepburn said.

What changes have you seen across the education sector over the past year, and how are those influencing Broward County Public Schools’ role?

In Florida, one of the biggest shifts across the education landscape is simply more choice for parents. The universal school voucher program has given families more opportunities than they had in the past, and the charter school environment continues to expand. 

For a traditional public school district, those dynamics require us to continue to innovate and remain competitive. We have to make sure our target audience, which is students and families, understands what sets us apart; what we offer compared to other options, whether that’s charter schools, homeschooling, or voucher pathways to private schools.

We also have to amplify what we already do well. About 85% of students in Broward County choose Broward County Public Schools, and we want that number to be 100%. So we’re focused on expanding student-interest opportunities across our schools and continuing to improve the experience for families.

What does demand look like today, and how is that shaping how districts compete for students and trust?

Parents’ demands vary. Today, school districts have to do a better job of building trust and clearly communicating what students will gain from the K-12 experience and how that translates into opportunities after graduation.

A big part of our strategy is working directly with industry partners to understand their needs, so our school system can support local employers with a pipeline of well-skilled and knowledgeable employees. We also work with groups like the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance to understand what they’re hearing as they recruit new businesses to the region. Businesses look at education quality when deciding whether to invest in a community, because they want to know they can attract and retain talent.

We’re also focused on articulation, not only between K-12 and higher education, but across the entire K-12 journey. We want families to see clear pathways from kindergarten through high school and beyond, and we want those pathways to make sense as students’ interests evolve. That means pushing programs back into middle and elementary school, not only concentrating opportunities in high school.

Regarding partnerships with higher education and local employers, where are you seeing the strongest traction today, and where do you see room for deeper collaboration?

In this region, aviation stands out as a major area of opportunity. It’s not only about pilots. It’s also about aircraft maintenance, building and maintaining engines, and the technical roles that keep the industry moving. We’ve been meeting with partners across the aviation sector to understand what their needs look like, and that’s informing where we build or expand programs within the district. 

We also continue to see strong demand in advanced technical areas, including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Over the past year, we’ve increased our emphasis on AI in particular. As a district, we’ve adopted Microsoft Copilot across the organization, and we’re moving toward the student version as well. Importantly, we have computer science students piloting the student version to ensure it’s safe and appropriate across different age groups.

Beyond tools, we’re focusing on how students learn to use AI responsibly, with special attention on ethical use and how it can support critical thinking and problem solving. We’re even leveraging students’ skill sets in practical ways. We have students building AI agents for the district to help address common operational problems, which gives them real-world experience while also helping us improve.

How do you envision the role of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the region?

We see STEM as an anchor that supports every industry. It’s not limited to the most technical sectors. In the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, we also have strong medical and hospitality industries, and STEM skills matter in those spaces as well, whether it’s data literacy, process improvement, or technology-enabled service models.

STEM is a vehicle for critical thinking and problem solving. It supports iteration and innovation, and it helps students develop the mindset that many employers value, regardless of job title. It also helps businesses improve efficiency and competitiveness.

So we don’t treat STEM as something isolated to IT. We view it as something that weaves through the region’s broader economic ecosystem.

What pressures are public school systems facing, and what are the strategies that you have in place to navigate through them?

One of the biggest pressures is declining enrollment. Like many large urban areas, we’re seeing declines driven by multiple factors, including declining birth rates and affordability pressures that lead families to relocate. There are also policy and legislative variables that can influence patterns.

In response, we’re focused on right-sizing our footprint. We have been engaging with district stakeholders and the community to guide tough decisions that need to be made regarding school closures. I’ve made recommendations to the school board so we can be more efficient and reduce underutilized capacity. The goal is to consolidate in a way that allows us to use resources more effectively, creating stronger opportunities for students in schools that are at capacity.

We’re also evaluating programs with a sharper lens. We’ve reviewed every magnet and innovative program to confirm it is demonstrating value for students and communities. If it’s not, we’re sunsetting those programs and identifying new ones that better align with industry demand and student interest.

Communication is another key strategy. In a competitive environment, families need clarity. We’re marketing ourselves better and differently so families understand what we offer and how students can move through clear pathways from kindergarten through post-secondary education. And we’re expanding flexible options. We have Broward Virtual School, and we’re scaling it because some families no longer want a traditional brick-and-mortar model. They want quality with flexibility.

Workforce innovation also remains central. Industries are telling us they’re losing highly skilled workers to retirement and need replacements. So we’re addressing workforce development not only in secondary schools, but earlier as well, including elementary-level exposure. We also have strong technical college assets in the district, and we continue working with partners to ensure we’re offering programs that meet real-world needs.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities over the next few years, and what will progress look like for students and the broader Broward County economy?

The first priority is right-sizing the district through consolidation, so we’re as efficient as possible. Efficiency allows us to reinvest resources into opportunities that directly benefit students.

The second priority is to continue to innovate. Innovating is not just a one-time thing, it’s a continuous thing throughout the year. That requires ongoing engagement with industry partners, communities, families, and post-secondary institutions so we can understand needs and respond quickly.

The education landscape is evolving rapidly, and we have to stay agile. My hope is that you see a district that is addressing student interests and industry needs while adapting quickly as new demands emerge.

Technology plays a major role in that adaptability. We want students to engage with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies so they’re prepared for future workforce demands and don’t face a digital divide as opportunities evolve.

Is there anything else you would like to highlight?

Absolutely. The Florida Department of Education released the Federal Graduation Rates for the 2024/25 school year, and I’m extremely proud to say that the overall results show that Broward County Public Schools’ (BCPS) graduation rate reached a historic high at 91.4% in 2025, up from 89% in 2024. This achievement represents an impressive 2.4 percentage point increase and marks the first time in at least 25 years that the District’s graduation rate has surpassed 90%. The Federal Graduation Rate includes traditional high schools, centers and charter schools. The graduation rate for BCPS traditional high schools only (excluding centers and charter schools) increased to 97.5%, up from 96.2% the previous school year (2024).

I would also emphasize that the majority of students in Broward County choose Broward County Public Schools, and we continue to be an A-rated school district. In Florida, schools are graded A, B, C, D, and F, and we have eliminated all D and F schools. We’ve also cut the number of C schools in half.

All of this progress reflects the work happening every day in our classrooms. Teachers, administrators, and volunteers are creating environments that lead to exceptional learning opportunities.

We also continue to partner with nonprofit and for-profit organizations to expand student exposure to careers and industries. The more students understand what opportunities exist, the better positioned they are to pursue paths that match their strengths and support the region’s long-term workforce and economic health.