A private school created by former WeWork executives is set to open in El Portal next year with a non-traditional approach to everything from curriculum to classroom design.

• For starters, there's no frontal teaching, so visitors won't find rows of desks with a teacher at the helm.

Why it matters: Student of Life, for Life (SOLFL, pronounced "soulful") is the latest example of Florida's evolving education landscape.

• The state has sought to welcome non-traditional forms of learning by promoting a parent-first approach and expanding how taxpayer dollars can be used.

What they're saying: Representatives of SOLFL told Axios that Florida's school choice laws played a role in its decision to locate in Miami.

• Reps say it plans to accept tax-funded scholarships for students in its new location, as it did in its first year of operation.
• A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education said the school is not currently participating in any statewide scholarship program, such as Step Up, which grants tax-funded scholarships.

The intrigue: The school was founded by Rebekah Neumann, a former WeWork executive and the wife of that company's co-founder, Adam Neumann.

• The school is a rebranded version of WeGrow, WeWork's Montessori-style school in New York City that closed in 2019 after one year, following WeWork's failed attempt to go public.
• A year later, Rebekah Neumann bought back the curriculum from WeWork and turned it into SOLFL, multiple outlets reported.

Between the lines: The school has been operating in Hollywood for two years with about 80 elementary and middle school students currently enrolled, representatives said, and a waitlist of several hundred.

• Plans to enroll high schoolers are in the works.

Zoom in: Online, SOLFL describes itself as an experience "designed to unleash and nourish" the soul by "fostering deep connections between [students'] souls, their bodies and the world around them."

• The program places the Torah at the center of its "spiral curriculum that connects the secular learnings in English, History, Math and Science to the Jewish calendar," according to its online curriculum page.

Case in point: The elementary and middle schools have what's referred to as "living classrooms," where lessons blend subjects and students engage with nature.

• For example: In a unit focused on the environment, middle schoolers may read "The Hobbit," representatives said; for social studies, they'll learn about how Indigenous cultures coexist with nature.

Friction point: SOLFL has faced backlash from locals who allege the school and the Neumanns' additional development plans will reshape the character of El Portal.

• The school plans required demolishing a church, which prompted the initial outcry from locals.
• The Neumanns have also purchased another tract where they plan to build a major mixed-use development, the Real Deal reported.

Go deeper

For the third year in a row, Miami Beach officials say they've kept a lid on spring break mayhem.

Why it matters: South Beach's annual college party month has been relatively calm in recent years after violence, disorderly crowds and clashes with police marred past spring break seasons.

Driving the news: Commissioner Alex Fernandez wrote in an email to residents Tuesday that arrests citywide decreased 14% from March 2 through March 23 — and down 24% in the Spring Break Zone.

• "Year after year, we have taken a thoughtful and deliberate approach to improving our Spring Break plan, and this year reflected a more coordinated and disciplined strategy."

Catch up quick: Miami Beach maintained its strictest spring break restrictions this year — including DUI checkpoints, license-plate readers and steep parking fees.

• But after business owners pleaded for fewer restrictions, the city moved to scale back other measures, including keeping sidewalk cafes open and removing some crowd-control barricades.

The city hosted several fitness-related events this month and released a promotional video encouraging health-centric tourism, a pivot from marketing campaigns of the past that tried to dissuade party-goers.

• "We didn't simply outgrow the problems of the past — we confronted them and broke the cycle," Mayor Steven Meiner wrote on Instagram.

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🗳️ Democrat Emily Gregory beat Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples in a state House special election in Palm Beach County last night. (Axios)

• Trump voted for Maples by mail, despite repeatedly railing against mail-in voting.

😋 Babe's Meat & Counter butcher shop is expanding its Palmetto Bay storefront. (Miami New Times)

• After eight years of mostly take-out or a quick meal at the counter, the store will feature about 40 seats, an expanded butcher counter and a room for local products.

⚠️ Miami Police will begin diverting downtown traffic tomorrow through Monday for Ultra Music Festival. Click here for updated traffic patterns.

🤑 A Japanese company purchased a site at Miami Worldcenter for $88.8 million. A branded condo-hotel tower was initially planned for the 0.7-acre parking lot. (The Real Deal)

💰 The Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach, which opened in 2021 from a joint venture between David Grutman and Pharrell Williams, could be seized in a nearly $150 million foreclosure lawsuit. (South Florida Business Journal)

The Bass Museum of Art is celebrating the grand opening of its new satellite gallery: The Rotunda at The Bass in Collins Park.

The big picture: The city-owned Rotunda, originally used as an assembly room for the old Miami Beach Public Library, was recently renovated as part of a $5.79 million city expansion project.

What's inside: Upgrades include a lobby area, new restrooms and mechanical, electrical and plumbing fixes.

What's next: The Rotunda will open March 28 at the museum's annual picnic.

• Its first exhibit will be "Pascale Marthine Tayou: Welcome Wall (2015-2026)."

Tell an art fan

By now you must be thinking: How much further will they take this whole banana thing, right? Hold my peel.

• I had the pleasure of meeting friend of the newsletter Erin yesterday to give her some fruit for her students.

😋 What's next: I still have 34 bananas on my counter! I will be freezing most for future smoothies and baking some more muffins.