ORLANDO, Fla. — When some Orange County schools close their doors for the summer, they will be closing them for good.
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The move comes as funding cuts appear to be a certainty with the pending approval of Governor Ron DeSantis on the budget for the next fiscal year. This, coupled with a sharp drop in enrollment, led to the schools’ closure.
READ: Orange County School Board votes to close 7 schools amid declining enrollment
Orange County has lost over 3,000 students and faces a $30M reduction in state funding.
In an exclusive interview with Orlando’s Morning News last December, OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez cited movement of families to different areas of the county, aging out of the communities, and the movement of immigrant families out of the area as reasons for the original proposal to close the schools.
READ: EXCLUSIVE: OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez joins ‘OMN’ to discuss proposed school closures
OCPS unanimously voted to close the seven schools back in March, much to the dismay of teachers, parents, and even a few board members. The emotional meeting at OCPS headquarters ended with the closure of six elementary schools—Bonneville Elementary, Chickasaw Elementary, Eccleston Elementary, McCoy Elementary, Meadow Woods Elementary, and Orlo Vista Elementary—and Union Park Middle School.
READ: Parents react to OCPS school closures ahead of last day of school
“This is not a happy day. This is a very disappointing and very sad point in time,” chair Teresa Jacobs had said.
Students and families affected by the closures will be assigned to other schools throughout the district, with school bus routes to be adjusted accordingly.
OCPS expects to save approximately $10 million due to the closures.
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