Dadeschools and the day a cleaning chair rolled into class

At South Hialeah Elementary, the most unusual sound in the hallway wasn’t a bell—it was the quiet hum of equipment as a temporary dental clinic took shape on campus. For Dadeschools families juggling work and school hours, the promise was simple: students could get exams, cleanings, and other treatments at school, with parental consent, then return to class.

What is changing for students under Dadeschools right now?

A new pilot initiative, Big Smiles Dental, is bringing free on-site dental care to select schools across Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The program was introduced at South Hialeah Elementary School, where families and educators gathered for the launch. At 40 local schools, students can receive free dental services—exams, cleanings, and other treatments—once parents provide consent.

Parents described the impact in terms of time, not just health. “They come to school. They do their cleaning. They head back to class. I don’t have to miss work. It’s really convenient, ” said Evelyn Delgado, a parent whose child participated.

Superintendent Jose L. Dotres framed the effort as part of a broader commitment to support students beyond academics. “Whenever we can facilitate resources for families, like dental care, we are empowering and creating a better structure for our students and learning. That’s key, ” Dotres said at the launch.

Why does a dental pilot matter as Dadeschools starts the superintendent countdown?

The Miami-Dade County school board is in the early stages of planning the search for its next superintendent, with Dotres having less than a year left in the seat. Board chair Mari Tere Rojas called it “the most consequential decision during our tenure” at a Wednesday school board meeting, emphasizing the weight of selecting the next leader for the district.

In that same moment of leadership transition planning, the district is also piloting a program that puts day-to-day family realities at the center: missed work hours, missed class time, and the basic barriers that can keep a student from focusing. Dotres said one of the collective achievements has been “to build community trust. ” Initiatives that families can feel immediately—like care delivered where children already are—test what that trust looks like in practice.

The board discussion also underscored pressure points the next superintendent will inherit. Board member Steve Gallon III emphasized “there’s a lot on the line, ” including unstable financial ground as student enrollment shrinks, affecting the budget. Against that backdrop, programs that aim to improve student readiness for class sit alongside the larger question of what kind of leadership the community wants next.

How does Big Smiles Dental work inside a school day?

The Big Smiles Dental model is built around mobility. A dental team visits participating schools and sets up a temporary clinic on campus. The mobile unit includes dental chairs, sterilization equipment, and the tools needed for examinations and cleanings, along with a licensed dentist and a dental assistant. After completing services at one school, the team dismantles the mobile clinic and travels to the next campus.

Officials involved with the program said the goal is to improve students’ quality of life through free preventive services. The pilot phase will operate at select schools, and the dental team will return every six months to provide follow-up care and treat new students.

For families, the school setting changes the math of a regular appointment. Delgado described the burden of coordinating multiple children’s visits around work demands. “I’m very happy with this idea. I won’t have to miss a day of work, ” she said. “Having to shuttle two children around town to get their teeth cleaned is a lot. Having programs at our school like this is wonderful. ”

Who is speaking for students, educators, and health needs—and what do they want next?

At the South Hialeah Elementary launch, district and community figures marked the start of the pilot effort, including School Board member Danny Espino and Principal Dillon M. Williams. The initiative also brought in health-sector leadership: Marcy Borofsky, co-founder and executive vice chair of Big Smiles Dental, argued that untreated dental problems can directly undermine learning.

“Dental decay is the number one chronic infectious disease of childhood, the top unmet health need for children, and with it, children cannot focus, learn, or thrive, ” Borofsky said. She described the approach as a practical partnership with the school system: bringing care to where children are.

The program also cites a larger educational cost to dental-related issues: more than 51 million school hours lost each year due to dental-related health issues, and about one in seven children experiencing tooth pain at any given time. The data cited by the program also states that Florida ranks last in the United States for dental access among low-income children.

Meanwhile, at the school board level, the question of leadership is becoming its own organizing force. Rojas said the board still has decisions to make in the search process: whether to hire a firm, whether to look internally, and whether there will be an interim superintendent after Dotres’ departure. Board members voted to hold the first workshop on April 14 to craft a timeline and guide for a vote at the regular school board meeting scheduled for April 22. Dotres’ last day is planned for Feb. 14, 2027, under his contract.

Educators’ representatives also want the superintendent search to reflect local realities. Antonio White, president of the United Teachers of Dade, told the board the choice is “among the most significant decisions that this board will make” and “will define the future of Miami-Dade County Public Schools for years to come. ” White said the next superintendent must share “a deep understanding for our local community, our educators, and the challenges unique to Miami-Dade County. ”

Back at South Hialeah Elementary, the day’s logic felt immediate: a child steps out for care and steps back into class, while a parent stays on the job. If Dadeschools is entering a countdown for its next superintendent, the pilot running through these hallways poses a grounded question about what leadership should protect—graduation milestones, yes, but also the ordinary conditions that let a student sit at a desk without pain and learn.

Image caption (alt text): Dadeschools Big Smiles Dental pilot sets up a temporary clinic inside a school campus.