Orange County closes 7 schools amid declining enrollment

ORLANDO, Fla. - Seven Orange County public schools officially closed Friday as the district moves to address declining student enrollment and reduce costs.

The Orange County School Board voted earlier this year to permanently close the campuses after district leaders said enrollment has dropped by more than 8,000 students over the past three years.

What's Next:

Students from the affected schools will be reassigned to other campuses for the next school year.

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Parents said the closures have created uncertainty for families weighing where to send their children next year.

"For me, I’m looking at all options," one parent told FOX 35 News. "I’m also speaking with the parents within the school to see what we feel is best for us."

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District officials said closing the seven schools is expected to save about $10 million.

Students at those schools will be transferred to other locations beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

The backstory:

As FOX 35 previously reported, OCPS said all seven schools faced declining enrollment and are not close to operating at full capacity.

The district has warned for months about declining enrollment. OCPS said in the past three years, enrollment is down nearly 9,000 students and down just about 4 percent.

That has financial consequences, as the district does not receive state funding that’s attached to enrollment figures.

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OCPS said the decline is because of several factors, including a growing number of Family Empowerment Scholarships; declining birth rates; an older population; and changes to federal immigration policies.

The school district said it has seen the benefits of paying for a third party recruiter, but the district said in some areas there a not enough school-age children living there to fill up the local schools, even if they all attended the OCPS school.

Board members said the district has to think outside the box to turn the tide.

Where might students be reassigned?

During a presentation on Tuesday night, the board discussed a relocation plan for students who are presently attending schools slated for closure. Here are proposals under consideration:

• Bonneville Elementary: Students would relocate to Columbia Elementary School or East Lake Elementary School.
• Chickasaw Elementary: Students would relocate to Deerwood Elementary School or Engelwood Elementary School.
• Eccleston Elementary: Students would relocate to Washington Shores Elementary School.
• McCoy Elementary: Students would relocate to Shenandoah Elementary School or Ventura Elementary School.
• Meadow Woods Elementary: Students would relocate to Southwood Elementary School or Wyndham Lakes Elementary School.
• Orlo Vista Elementary: Students would relocate to Eagles Nest Elementary School, Ivey Lake Elementary School, or Oak Hill Elementary School.
• Union Park Middle: Students would relocate to Glenridge Middle School, Legacy Middle School, Odyssey Middle School, Rogerto Clemente Middle School, or Disovery Middle School.

Why is Orange County closing these schools?

Dig deeper:

School officials say the decision is the result of the continuing drop in student enrollment, with several schools operating below capacity. 

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Based on school enrollment vs school capacity data the district provided, the seven identified schools are operating at around 40% and 50% capacity. These identified schools are made up of six elementary schools and one middle school. 

Orange County Public Schools, according to the school directory, currently has 135 elementary schools, nine K-8 schools, 41 middle schools and 24 high schools. 

What factors contribute to declining enrollment? 

Enrollment has declined by more than 8,300 students – 4% over the past year – the school district said. OCPS anticipates this decline will continue through 2025, it said. 

OCPS links the decline in enrollment to four factors: 

• More families are opting for taxpayer-funded vouchers, such as Family Empowerment Scholarships. Homeschooling and school vouchers are impacting OCPS numbers. Additionally, micro schools and private schools are growing, Border said.
• A decline in birth rates. 25 students are exiting for every 21 students entering schools throughout the United States, Border said.
• A population shift. Older, established neighborhoods have fewer students, the district said. Some neighborhoods have been experiencing enrollment declines since 2018, Border said. There was a residential boom in 2010 – recovering from the housing recession – in which, for nearly a decade, the school district accepted 3,000 new students each year. To support this growth, the district built new schools in rapidly developing areas, Border said. After the pandemic in 2020, the district rebounded slightly, but is now seeing a "more alarming trend." This year, OCPS had a decrease of 5,896 students – 3.2% fewer than last year. Broward and Palm Beach counties are also losing students, he said. He anticipated this would cost the district a $41 million loss this year.
• A change in Temporary Protected Status for immigrant families

How were seven schools identified? 

The district looked at several criteria to identify which schools to consolidate. This included low enrollment and the proximity to other schools. 

Enrollment decline linked to funding decrease

A decline in enrollment also means a decline in funding. The district said it anticipates a loss of $41 million in funding. 

Additionally, operation costs for these schools remain high, the school district said, despite "underutilization." 

Operation costs for an elementary school in Orange County are $1.3 million and for a middle school is $2.1 million, according to officials. 

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