ORLANDO, Fla. – Citing a “significant decline in student enrollment,” Orange County Public Schools is considering consolidating several schools, which could lead to the closure of as many as seven schools, the district said.
The Orange County School Board will hold a work session on Tuesday, Dec. 16, to discuss several topics, including the schools being considered for consolidation.
The schools include Union Park Middle School; Bonneville Elementary School; Chickasaw Elementary School; Orlo Vista Elementary School; Eccleston Elementary School; Meadow Woods Elementary School; and McCoy Elementary School.
If the consolidation plan is approved, the schools would close at the end of this school year and students would be reassigned to a new school for the 2026-27 school year.
OCPS said it saw steady growth for nearly a decade following the housing market recovery in 2010, adding an average of 3,000 students annually and building new schools to meet demand.
“However, since the pandemic, enrollment trends have shifted dramatically,” OCPS said in a statement.
Reduced enrollment directly impacts funding, as state resources are tied to student enrollment.
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“We estimate a conservative loss of $41 million this year, which affects staffing, programs, and the ability to maintain facilities,” the statement said. “Operating schools well below capacity is not sustainable, and it limits the opportunities we can provide to students.”
OCPS said it has 5,539 fewer students this school year, a 2.9% decrease.
Over the past three years, enrollment has declined by more than 8,300 students, or 4.4% of the student population.
The school district said several factors have contributed to the trend, including demographic changes in established neighborhoods, lower birth rates, expansion of Florida’s tax-payer funded vouchers through Family Empowerment Scholarships and federal immigration policy changes.
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Districts statewide face similar declines, OCPS said.
OCPS said the proposal remains in the early-discussion phase and its decisions will be guided by criteria that prioritize student needs, minimize disruption, and ensure transparency. School board members are expected to take community feedback into account before any vote.
“Our goal is to work collaboratively with families and school communities to make thoughtful and strategic decisions that strengthen educational opportunities for all of our students,” OCPS said.
Parents at McCoy Elementary say they’re prepared to fight to keep their school open.
In response to parents’ complaints — namely, that they feel left out of the decision-making process and worry the closure would increase class sizes, lengthen commutes, and eliminate programs their children rely on — the school’s PTO has launched an online petition urging the district not to close McCoy. As of Wednesday, the petition had collected more than 1,100 signatures.