Cherokee School in Orlando to become arts and technology magnet high school
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Cherokee Junior High School, a century-old building in downtown Orlando, is set to be transformed into the Cherokee School of Arts and Entertainment, a magnet high school for grades 9-12 focused on arts and technology.
Monday night at Boone High School, the design team for Orange County Public Schools presented the 30% design concept for the renovations of the Cherokee School, located on South Eola Drive. The school will offer programs in film, animation, digital sound, and more.
Orange County School Board Member Stephanie Vanos, who represents District 6, emphasized the value of magnet schools.
“Magnet schools have been so popular with our community, with our students, with our families. It has drawn students back, who have not chosen OCPS, back into OCPS, and in this climate, we need opportunities and options for students who may not be interested in the traditional school,” Vanos said.
While some residents support the project, others expressed concerns about traffic and parking in the neighborhood.
Stephen Bach, who attended Cherokee in the past, said, “Is it going to alleviate some of the pressure on the neighbors with traffic in the mornings and afternoons? Also, they say there’s going to be events at night. It’s another thing we have to look at.”
Traffic and parking were recurring concerns among residents who spoke at the meeting. Adam Zywicki questioned enforcement, saying, “You’re kind of leaving it up to the neighborhood to tattle on these kids, and then what’s the consequences?”
Amy Wilson asked whether the plans included simulations for traffic flow.
“To include neighborhood traffic and students being dropped off, lawn care, and garbage trucks, is there something that creates a simulation that does this?” she said.
Despite the concerns, some residents voiced their support for the project. Dustin Bowersett said, “There’s going to be traffic, there’s going to be issues. You live in downtown Orlando. Those are just the problems of living in downtown.”
Neighbor Brian Wilson added, “I feel like we’re at the first question we’ve ever asked a year ago when we had these meetings, which is how is this logistically going to happen in the real world when high school students and busy parents [are] coming [and] going through a historic narrow brick-lined neighborhood?”
The total cost of the school is $92 million, with $25 million coming from private donations. The school will have a capacity of 500 students on a block schedule, with a maximum of 250 students on campus per day.
Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of the year, with the school set to open in August 2028. Additional meetings, including a 40% design meeting, will be announced as the project progresses.