MDC Trustee Selected To Serve On Miami-Dade County School Board

Maria Bosque-Blanco was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis as the new Miami-Dade County School Board representative for District 7 on Jan. 17.

She will represent South Miami Heights, the Hammocks and parts of Kendall and the Redlands during the bi-weekly school board meetings in Downtown Miami. 

“[I’m] humbled yet so excited to have an opportunity to make a difference,” said Bosque-Blanco, who has served on Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees since December of 2021.

The 48-year-old replaces Lubby Navarro, who resigned on Dec. 30 following the implementation of a law prohibiting lobbyists to serve political positions—Navarro is lobbying for the South Broward Hospital District. 

Bosque-Blanco did not have to campaign for her position. She was offered the seat after expressing interest in becoming a member of the school board after Navarro’s resignation. 

Once Bosque-Blanco’s term ends in November of 2024, she will have the opportunity to run for election to maintain her position. 

Bosque-Blanco hopes to improve psychological services for students, maximize teacher satisfaction and retention and advocate for students with disabilities. 

During her first week, Bosque-Blanco will meet with the Miami-Dade County Public School superintendent’s deputies to get acquainted with the district’s issues. 

“I’m hoping to create change for the better,” Bosque-Blanco said. 

As an MDC trustee, she has assisted the College as it raises enrollment to pre-pandemic levels while tackling a nursing and teaching shortage.

“We’re in a time when we need people who truly have a heart for education,” said Roberto Alonso, who is also a member of MDC’s Board of Trustees and has served as a school board member since November. “It’s always good to know that you have a friendly face that you’ve worked with before.” 

Bosque-Blanco kicked off her career in education 27 years ago by serving as a science teacher at her alma mater—St. Brendan High School. 

She later served as a school psychologist for the Broward County School Board for 15 years before becoming a guidance counselor at Our Lady of Lourdes, an all-girls Catholic High School in South Miami, in 2016.

Since then, Bosque-Blanco has also attended networking and professional development conferences hosted by the Southern and National Associations for College Admission Counseling.

For the past two decades, she has been an active member of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, leading youth groups and volunteering in several ministries. 

“I loved making an impact with individual students,” said Bosque-Blanco, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1995 and a master’s degree in school psychology in 2002 from Barry University. “Now I have an opportunity to make an impact in an entire county.”

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