Case Study
Clearing the Path for a Premier School's Expansion
Miami Country Day School · Miami-Dade County and Miami Shores, Florida
Challenge
Miami Country Day School, a premier private K-12 institution, faced significant community opposition to its request for increased enrollment. With site plan approvals pending and a high-profile partnership with Barry University on the horizon, the school needed to change the narrative around its expanding footprint. Without a structured strategy to address neighbor concerns, it risked prolonged delays, negative publicity, and constrained long-term growth, all while navigating approval processes in two municipalities at once.
Solution
INGAGE designed a proactive public affairs program centered on stakeholder engagement and relationship-driven government relations. We organized internal and external workshops that gave neighbors a structured forum to voice concerns and hear directly from school leadership, and conducted targeted meetings with neighbors and Miami-Dade County officials to build understanding before formal review began.
INGAGE also led the public affairs, government relations, and public relations effort to secure Miami Shores Village approval for the Barry University partnership, then facilitated the announcement ceremony and media rollout, generating coverage in the Miami Herald, Biscayne Times, and local outlets alongside a viral social media announcement.
Impact
The site plan moved through the Miami-Dade County approval process with no opposition present at hearings. Miami Shores Village approved the Barry University partnership, clearing the path for a significant expansion of the school's athletic programming.
