A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 2020-31324 TO EXTEND THE REGISTRATION PERIOD THROUGH WINTER 2020 FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT ("GED") AND ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES ("ESOL") CLASSES FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS, AND TO UTILIZE THE REMAINING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,430 TO FUND ENROLLMENT FEES FOR THE WINTER 2020 SEMESTER; AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS OR AGREEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM.

The Miami Beach Adult and Community Education Center, through Miami-Dade County Public Schools, offers English for Speakers of Other Languages (“ESOL”) classes as well as General Education Development (“GED”) classes to Miami Beach residents.  The ESOL course is designed to provide English language and literacy instruction for English language learner adults whose first language is other than English and who are non-literate or semi-literate in their home language, in order to increase their ability to communicate in English.  The GED course of instruction prepares students for academic and personal success through obtaining the necessary skills required to pass the official GED test and earn a State of Florida High School Diploma. 

The current fee to enroll in either a GED or ESOL course at Miami Beach Adult and Community Education Center through Miami-Dade County Public Schools is $30.  In the Fall 2019 semester, 390 Miami Beach were residents enrolled into ESOL and GED.  In summer 2019, the enrollment for the GED and ESOL classes was equally robust with 223 Miami Beach residents availing themselves of these educational opportunities.  Following the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse impact to Miami Beach's vulnerable residents, the enrollment in Summer 2020 dropped 69% when compared to the enrollment during Summer 2019 term. The hospitality industry in Miami Beach suffered one of the worst adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In order to  ensure that our workforce remains on Miami Beach, as they are the backbone of our hospitality industry,  removing obstacles to their ability to attain and improve basic skills like English proficiency and high school graduation equivalency, is critical.

The Mayor and Commission approved the funding for up to 390 Miami Beach residents to take ESOL and GED in the Fall 2020 semester.    Approximately 109 Miami Beach residents are now enrolled utilizing the Miami Beach scholarship this Fall.   Extending the enrollment through the Winter 2020 semester will allow more Miami Beach residents to participate in ESOL and GED classes.   Funding would not exceed the original allocation of $11,700.