Miami

Brag About Ronald Reagan Senior High in Doral

It has zero magnet programs to attract students from far-flung areas of the county, and that’s just fine with everyone at Ronald Reagan Senior High School in Doral. The school takes great pride in being a local institution which nurtures the local kids.

"We are very proud to say that we develop our students from the neighborhood, our local students, and we make them flourish," said principal Juan Carlos Boue.

The home of the Bison has five academies, including the Cambridge Program, a Classical and Fine Arts academy, Information and Communications Technology, and the Teaching Academy.

"The whole idea is to mold them into studying education through various areas," said Karla Lopez, the teacher who teaches students how to teach.

With guidance from FIU professors, the students in the program learn education techniques and practice them when they tutor their peers, many of whom are just learning English.

"It has nurtured that passion that I've had for teaching and from a spark I can say it became a wildfire," said Cristian Cancino, a sophomore in the Teaching Academy.

The Global Trade and Logistics Academy trains students to step into the import-export economy, which in South Florida, is largely centered in Doral, with its proximity to Miami International Airport.

"The timing of things being delivered, how long is it gonna take from Miami to Europe, a package that might be delivered," said Boue, explaining one of the aspects of international trade that students learn in the academy.

The school’s commitment to the arts is impressive. The Reagan Singers chorale group has won awards at the state and national levels. The school also features concert, jazz, and rock bands, in addition to dance and theatre troupes, painting and 3D digital art, and photography. It’s all part of the school’s effort to give students avenues to express their creativity.

"It provides them with an opportunity to do something different, we are currently living in a world that is very STEM-oriented and while that is very important, there is a push for STEAM, and we need the arts and we need to encourage the other side of the brain," said chorale director Alicia Romero-Sardinas.

In the ten years since it opened, Doral’s only traditional public high school has become a pillar of the community. Many newly-arrived immigrants from South America take English classes at the school at night while their kids attend Reagan High in the day time. It’s an entry point to the American dream. Every year, the Home of the Bison sends some of its students to the best colleges in the state and nation, and others into the workforce and military.

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