School leaders in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are urging voters to head to the polls ahead of referendums on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The referendums are already in place in both school districts, and approval by voters would renew the funding without any tax increase.

At a town hall meeting in Doral on Tuesday, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Rafael Villalobos emphasized the importance of continued investment in public education.

“Many of the people living and working in the county are products of public schools,” Villalobos said at an afternoon press conference. “We should be proud of that, and want to continue to invest in that. That is our security.”

In Miami-Dade, referendum funds support school safety and security initiatives and help increase teacher salaries. District leaders say the additional funding helps retain and recruit educators amid rising living costs.

“This would be detrimental to Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a whole because now you can lose high-quality teachers,” Villalobos said. “You won’t be able to attract more teachers just because of the cost of living in Miami-Dade County.”

In Broward County, officials say referendum dollars help fund nearly 400 safety personnel, safety technology upgrades, mental health professionals, and approximately $173 million annually for teacher and staff compensation.

“This is one of the only vehicles that we are allowed to ask the public to provide additional local effort, making investment in the education that students are receiving,” Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn said.

According to Broward schools, failure of the referendum would result in the loss of about $358 million each year, creating additional financial challenges as the district already faces budget reductions.

“Our investment in our teachers and other frontline staff is an investment in our students,” Hepburn said. “It helps ensure they continue to have the incredible outcomes they achieve day in and day out, which contributes to Broward County overall.”

Officials in both districts noted that charter schools are also eligible to receive referendum funding.

Three people were hospitalized Tuesday after a car crashed into El Palacio de los Jugos in Miami-Dade, causing a gas leak, officials said.

The crash happened at the Cuban restaurant and open-air market along Southwest 56th Street.

The gas company has been notified about the leak, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said.

One patient was transported to the West Trauma Center for treatment, while the other two were taken to a local hospital, officials said.

This story is developing.

A South Florida doctor who came to the U.S. from Nigeria as a child is now giving back to the community that welcomed her.

For Dr. Oluwadamilola Ajiboye, caring for Hialeah’s seniors is more than medicine, it’s a full-circle moment.

Ajiboye was 11 when she moved from Nigeria to Miami. She found a home in Hialeah and a culture that felt familiar.

“I think Hialeah actually turned out to be the best place to transition to the U.S because a lot of the culture I experienced was so similar to the culture that I grew up in, in Nigeria,” Ajiboye said. “The love of family, the closeness of family, the sort of very welcoming expressive culture.”

That sense of family stayed with her.

After medical school in North Carolina and residency at the University of Miami, she returned to Hialeah, this time as a doctor.

Today, she’s medical director at Florida Pace Centers, caring for seniors who remind her of the people who first made her feel at home.

“It feels like things have come full circle with this experience for me, my culture very much reveres and appreciates the elderly, and so to be able to come back and take care of the seniors that basically welcomed me as a child, and new to the United States, it really feels like a blessing to be able to do that,” Ajiboye said.

She says understanding her patients’ culture helps her better understand their needs. 

Her patients say they feel that connection.

“She’s great. She’s a great doctor, she’s very smiling with us, gives you a sense of security, she’s marvelous,” said patient Miriam Baquet.

 For Ajiboye, it’s a chance to return the welcome she received, one patient at a time.

Florida Pace Centers provides medical care and support services to help seniors remain in their communities rather than move into nursing homes.