Orange County to consider closing 7 schools amid ‘significant’ enrollment decline
Orange County Public Schools to consider closing 7 schools
Orange County Public Schools is considering closing seven schools because of a dip in student enrollment. The district is working with a recruitment company to get students back.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County Public Schools is looking at possibly closing up to seven schools as the school district deals with a "significant" decline in student enrollment.
The School Board of Orange County will discuss the potential closures during a work session meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
What schools are being considered?
What we know:
Orange County Public Schools has identified seven schools for potential closure:
Union Park Middle School
Bonneville Elementary School
Chickasaw Elementary School
Orlo Vista Elementary School
Eccleston Elementary School
Meadow Woods Elementary School
McCoy Elementary School
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Why these schools?
Orange County Public Schools said its enrollment numbers have significantly declined by more than 8,300 students over the last three years.
For the 2025-2026 school year, the district had 5,539 fewer students, a drop of nearly 3%, the district said.
Fewer students means less state funding. OCSO said it anticipates a loss of $41 million in funding, though the number could be greater.
"The decision to close a school is not something that any single one of us wants to do," said Teresa Jacobs, Orange County School Board Chair.
"It's not something a superintendent wants to do. The reality is we may have to make some tough decisions, because we do not have enough money. When we have a school that only has 50% of the student enrollment, the cost of operating that school doesn't drop by 50%.
The district said operating schools below capacity is not sustainable.
What's causing a decline in enrollment?
According to the district, several factors have contributed to the decline, including:
- demographic changes in neighborhoods
- lower birth rates
- Expansion of Florida's tax-payer-funded voucher programs
- Federal immigration policy changes
The district said operating schools below capacity is not sustainable.
What we don't know:
The district hasn’t made any final decisions yet on what schools, if any, will ultimately close. Nor when those changes would go into effect.
The school board will hold a work session on Dec. 16 to discuss the "impacts of declining enrollment" and the schools being considered for closure.
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Orange County Schools working with recruiter to boost enrollment
Amid declining student enrollment, Orange County Public Schools—the fourth-largest school district in Florida—has been exploring different ways to boost its numbers, including working with a recruitment company.
The district has enlisted the services of Caissa Public Strategy, a Tennessee-based company, that helps school districts recruit and retain students. So far, the company has been able to recruit about 1,900 students to the district.
On Tuesday, the school board voted to extend its contract with the company. Under the agreement, the district pays the company about $935 for each student it’s able to recruit or bring back to the district.
The Source: This article was written using information sourced from Orange County Public Schools and FOX 35 reporting.