Broward County Public Schools to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with memorial ceremonies across the district

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Broward County Public Schools will hold memorial ceremonies across the district on Friday, September 11, 2026, to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and remember the thousands of people who lost their lives.

The events will bring together students, teachers, school staff and administrators, along with members of the Broward County School Board, district leaders, local elected officials, city representatives and first responders.

Two high schools, Cooper City High School and Western High School, will host ceremonies beginning at 9:30 a.m. Both events are open to media coverage, according to the district.

At Cooper City High School, the school’s Navy JROTC program will lead a commemoration honoring those who died in the attacks. The ceremony will include a wreath presentation, remarks from guest speakers and a performance of Taps by a student from the school’s Sound of Pride band.

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Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn is scheduled to attend the Cooper City event. His participation will be part of the district’s broader effort to recognize the anniversary and ensure that the events of September 11 remain part of the community’s shared memory.

The ceremony will take place at Cooper City High School, located at 9401 Stirling Road in Cooper City.

A second memorial will be held at Western High School in Davie, where students have created a physical tribute to the victims of the attacks.

The school’s event, called the Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Memorial Ceremony, will feature a student-built memorial that recreates the Twin Towers. The structure will be surrounded by representations of the Pentagon, another location targeted during the September 11 attacks.

The student-designed memorial will also include a flagpole positioned within the outline of the state of Pennsylvania. The feature is intended to recognize the passengers and crew members of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after those aboard attempted to stop the hijackers.

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The Western High School ceremony will be held at 1200 Wildcat Way in Davie and will also begin at 9:30 a.m.

The September 11 attacks occurred 25 years ago, when hijacked commercial airplanes were used in attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, including civilians, firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel.

For schools, the anniversary provides an opportunity to discuss the human cost of the attacks and the lasting impact on families, communities and the country. Memorial ceremonies also allow students to take part in acts of remembrance and learn about an event that shaped modern American history.

The participation of students in both Broward County ceremonies is a central part of the district’s observance. At Cooper City, students will contribute through the JROTC-led program and musical performance. At Western, students have taken a more direct role by constructing the memorial honoring the victims.

School officials, local leaders and first responders are expected to join members of the school communities at the events. Their presence will help recognize the many people who responded to the attacks and those who continued working to protect and support their communities in the years that followed.

The district’s ceremonies are scheduled for the morning of Friday, September 11, 2026, exactly 25 years after the attacks. BCPS is inviting members of the media to attend and cover both commemorations.

The two events will offer different forms of tribute, but each will focus on the same purpose — honoring the lives lost on September 11, remembering the courage of those who responded and passing the responsibility of remembrance to a new generation of students.