coronavirus

Miami-Dade Learning Center Reopens After Meeting With City

The school initially announced plans to reopen Monday, sending messages to parents on social media Sunday evening that they would be up and running for business

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After a back and forth battle between a Miami-Dade school and officials in one city, classes were back in session Tuesday amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Owners of the Aventura Learning Center told NBC 6 they met with officials from the city of North Miami Beach and an agreement was reached to allow classes to resume on Tuesday.

The school posted on social media it would be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and would be closed to students once the number of children allowed in is met. Parents will not be charged for the remainder of May.

The school initially announced plans to reopen Monday, sending messages to parents on social media Sunday evening that they would be up and running for business.

Code enforcement officers from the city were on the school's campus and said they would not allow it to reopen, while school officials told NBC 6 they would speak with city officials.

“We know that if the facility has been closed for two days alone is enough time to warrant that the space is safe," co-owner Eileen Otero told NBC 6. "In addition to that, we want to take the necessary precautions and steps to show parents that we do care."

Otero said attorneys representing the school would meet with attorneys for the city.

The school’s website says that it accepts newborns up to the 5th grade while the message sent out also images of workers in hazmat suits and that the school is being sanitized for the safe arrival of students and staff members.

The city sent NBC 6 a statement Sunday saying code enforcement made several attempts to contact Aventura Learning Center in advance to discuss its plans to resume operations, but operators did not respond. 

In a statement Tuesday, North Miami Beach officials said that ALC personnel and city officials met Monday to discuss the requirements ALC’s child care facility—and only its child care facility—would be able to safely and legally operate under state and local emergency orders and City code enforcement regulations.  

"ALC has met all of its obligations and is now able to operate its child care facility under emergency orders. The City expected ALC to collaborate with City officials to put out a statement explaining how it was intending to comply with County orders prior to its re-opening; regrettably that did not happen," the city's statement read. "Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the community is the City of North Miami Beach’s top concern, and we will monitor ALC’s operation to ensure it complies with current regulations."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that parts of the state would begin the first phase of reopening on Monday, except for the three South Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

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