A more than $2.2 million investment is coming to Miami Carol City Senior High School, marking a major step forward for student-athletes and the broader Miami Gardens community. School leaders, elected officials, alumni, and community stakeholders gathered on campus on March 18th to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new synthetic track and turf field—an upgrade many say represents far more than just new facilities.
The project includes a $1.69 million synthetic turf field and a $525,000 track, totaling $2,216,260 in investment into the historic school.
For School Board Member Dr. Steve Gallon III, the moment was about more than construction—it was about commitment.
“Today is more than a groundbreaking ceremony for a new track. It is a visible, tangible symbol of belief. Belief in this school. Belief in these students. Belief in this community,” Gallon said during the ceremony.
That belief showed up not just in public funding, but in community support as well. Carol City alumni made a $25,000 contribution to the project through the Chief Hall Alumni Association, led by Lee “Freezy” Prince and Claudienne Hibbert-Smith. Their donation was presented during the event, reinforcing what many in the community describe as a deep and ongoing connection between the school and its graduates.
The event also drew notable alumni and supporters, including former NFL players Kenny Phillips and Ricky Jean Francois, who returned to campus to show love to the next generation of Chiefs.
The new facility is expected to provide student-athletes with a safer, modern space to train and compete, but Gallon emphasized that the real impact goes far beyond athletics.
“This track represents more than lanes and lines—it represents opportunity. It represents access. It represents a commitment to ensuring that the young people in this community have every chance to run toward something greater than their circumstances,” he said during his speech.
Gallon, who grew up nearby in Liberty City, spoke candidly about the role schools like Carol City play in shaping young people’s futures and the importance of investing in spaces that nurture both academic and extracurricular growth.
“I’ve seen firsthand how athletics can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. I’ve seen young men and women find purpose on a field, discipline on a track, and direction through a coach who believed in them when they didn’t yet believe in themselves,” he said.
That message resonated throughout the crowd, especially as the school continues its ongoing turnaround driven by the leadership of Principal Bridget Washington-McKinney, engaged parents, alumni involvement, and community partnerships.
“This new track will serve as more than a place for competition—it will be a training ground for excellence. A space where future champions will be developed. A place where students will run not only toward finish lines—but toward opportunity, toward college, toward careers, and toward brighter futures,” Gallon said.
The investment also reflects a broader effort by Miami-Dade County Public Schools to ensure that students across all communities have access to quality facilities and resources.
“We understand something very clearly: athletics are not separate from education—they are an extension of it,” said Gallon.
Beyond the track and field project, the Chief Hall Alumni Association is continuing its efforts to pour back into the school. The Chiefs are currently gearing up for their annual all-classes alumni picnic set for April 11th that draws thousands of alumni to celebrate Chief Pride. The alumni association is calling on alumni to donate at $25 a week for the next four weeks leading up to the Chief Hall Fest alumni event. The goal is to raise $300,000 to build bleacher seating at the school. The addition would allow Carol City to host home games and meets on campus.
“And years from now, when students stand on this track—whether they win races or simply complete them—they will do so knowing that a community believed in them enough to invest in their success,” Gallon said.
School Board Member, Dr. Steve Gallon III, and Miami Carol City Sr High School Alum, Lee “Freezy” Prince, embrace during the groundbreaking for the new track and football field at Miami Carol City High School. Photo Credit: Dr. Steve Gallon III. 
Community leaders, alumni, and students gathered for the groundbreaking event for the new track and football field at Miami Carol City High School. Photo Credit: Dr. Steve Gallon III. 
Dr. Jose L. Dotres, MDCPS Superintendent of Schools, speaking at the groundbreaking for the new track and football field at Miami Carol City High School. Photo Credit: Dr. Steve Gallon III.
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