ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Public School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the sale of the historic Hungerford property to Dr. Phillips Charities, despite objections from members of the Eatonville Town Council who urged the board to delay or reject the plan.
The decision clears the way for redevelopment of the 117-acre site, formerly home to Hungerford School, a historically Black school that served students in Eatonville for decades. The proposal includes plans for an early learning child care center, a community health care facility, a pavilion, a museum and expanded green space.
Board members said the project would bring long-term benefits to Eatonville, including economic development and a sustainable tax base.
“I do believe at the end of it all that Eatonville will be prosperous,” said School Board member Angie Gallo of District 1. “They will have a sustainable tax base and they will be able to move forward with this property.”
Under the agreement, Dr. Phillips Charities will make a $1 million down payment for the property. The remaining balance, valued at up to $13 million, will be forgiven incrementally as long as the nonprofit fulfills its development commitments. School officials said safeguards are in place if the charity fails to meet those obligations.
“Parts of that $13 million get forgiven as they honor their commitment, and if they don’t, there are provisions for that,” board chair Teresa Jacobs said during the meeting.
Before the vote, members of the Eatonville Town Council addressed the board, expressing frustration over what they described as a lack of transparency in negotiations. The council voted 4-1 previously to oppose the plan, saying Mayor Angie Gardner did not include council members in discussions with Orange County Public Schools or Dr. Phillips Charities.
“We were definitely left in the dark,” Eatonville council member Tarus Marck said describing what they characterized as “backdoor deals.”
Mack acknowledged the board’s authority to make the decision but remained opposed to the sale.
“I understand they’ve got a job to do as a board, make tough decisions. I get it. I respect it,” Mack said. “But I’m not definitely in favor of it.”
School board members, however, said delaying the vote could jeopardize the opportunity to redevelop the land and risk losing local control of the property.
“The cost of us not voting for this today and doing nothing is one, losing a nonprofit organization with a long record of doing really great work in our city,” OCPS vice-chair Maria Salamanca said. “And second, the state of Florida does whatever it wants with this surplus of land and nobody gets a say.”
School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with Eatonville leaders as the project moves forward.
She said it will be critical for the town and Dr. Phillips Charities to work together to ensure the development reflects the community’s history and future needs.