ORLANDO, Fla. — Discussions about the potential consolidation of seven schools continued Tuesday at an Orange County Public School workshop that gave families another chance to share their thoughts on the plan.
The meeting was part of an ongoing process that could result in the closure of those schools and the relocation of students to neighboring campuses.
What You Need To Know
Because of a decrease in enrollment, Orange County Public Schools is considering a consolidation plan that could close seven schools
The district has held community meetings and sent out online surveys to hear from families that would be affected
OCPS held a rule development workshop Tuesday to focus on proposed changes to attendance zones for each school
Members of the Orange County School Board say consolidation will next come up at a scheduled meeting on March 10
As OCPS gets closer to deciding the fate of these seven schools in the district, officials say they want to make sure the transition process goes smoothly.
Tuesday’s rule development workshop was focused on proposed changes to attendance zones for each school.
“We want to make sure that the rezoning maps really aligns with the community and they really feel comfortable with the way it’s being rezoned,” said District 3 school board member Alicia Farrant.
The meeting was an opportunity for families, staff, and students from affected schools to share their thoughts on the process.
But public comment only saw one speaker, and while he was not a parent or someone directly affected by the proposal, he talked about the impact of community changes like this.
“There will be interrupted friendships, and it could also interrupt those family ties,” said Stephen Holzman. “That extra support of maybe your kids staying with someone after school and the shared responsibilities of child care. Whenever the schools close, those networks kind of get interrupted, and they have to restart and rebuild that consciously and socially.”
Holzman is a researcher with Orlando Yimby, a local chapter of a national nonprofit that advocates for housing development and sustainable growth.
He has attended several consolidation meetings and said he has become invested in the process and the people.
As for School Board members, they said every decision toward consolidation is difficult, and while the move isn’t perfect, discussions have showcased why it may be necessary.
“It’s better than trying to take the money and spread it two to three ways, but instead just bring it into just one school. And I think that’s why we’re choosing Washington Shores (Elementary School),” said District 5 school board member Vicki-Elaine Felder. “Because we don’t have enough money to spread to Washington and Eccleston (Elementary School). We can’t.”
Board members heard directly from families at a series of meetings last month, but said they were surprised by the lack of turnout Tuesday.
But Holzman said he is optimistic that things will work out for everyone.
“Folks are upset and anxious, but we’re all in this together,” he said. “And we’ll try to move forward the best we can, I think, as a community.”
School board Chair Teresa Jacobs finished the meeting by thanking all the board members and staff for all their hard work, and said the research and planning has given her confidence to make a difficult decision.
Consolidation will next come up at a scheduled Orange County School Board meeting on March 10, when a public hearing on the school closures is expected to be held before a vote on the plan.
The district is still accepting community input by email through Feb. 17.