ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools are operating under capacity due to a decline in birth rates, an aging population, and increased school choice, which have drastically lowered enrollment numbers and impacted the district financially.
The district has been considering a plan to close seven schools as a response to this challenge. Community meetings to inform families about the plan continue tonight.
Orange County Public Schools report a 4% decline in enrollment over the past three years, which amounts to nearly 10,000 fewer students.
[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Potential use’ plans unveiled for 7 Orange County schools up for closure]
This sharp drop has led the district to consider consolidating several schools. The money-saving strategy would close six elementary schools and one middle school. While the plan is not set in stone yet, parents are preparing for the last bell to ring here.
“There’s a lot of good teachers (at Chickasaw). My son really loves his teachers, so we don’t know yet. It’s just a matter of time to figure out what they’re doing and are they going to place the teachers in another school or what’s going to kind of happen with that?” parent Tanya Morales said.
[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Orange County consolidation plan could lead to closure of 7 schools]
Mom Janelle Nunez tells News 6 she is not a fan of the plan, but does think it may be the only logical solution to deal with the drop in enrollment.
“It does suck that the school is closing. But at the same time, what are we going to do if there’s no kids to put into the school,” parent Janelle Nunez said. “There’s only so much we can do if there’s no kids in the neighborhood and I’m just kind of in the situation where I got to figure out where I need to put her in now because I just live right up the road.”
[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Orange County school district moves forward with possible closure of 7 schools]
The two meetings scheduled tonight are both at 6 p.m., one at Chickasaw Elementary School and the other at Eccleston Elementary School.
Community Meeting Locations:
| Meeting Location | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Union Park Middle School 1844 Westfall Dr. | Orlando, FL 32817-4202 | January 14, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
| Bonneville Elementary School 14700 Sussex Dr. | Orlando, FL 32826-3833 | January 15, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
| Orlo Vista Elementary School 3 N Hastings St., Orlando | Jan. 15, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
| Chickasaw Elementary School 6900 Autumnvale Drive, Orlando | Jan. 21, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
| Eccleston Elementary School 1500 Aaron Ave., Orlando | Jan. 21, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
| McCoy Elementary School 5225 S Semoran Blvd., Orlando | Jan. 22, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
| Meadow Woods Elementary School 500 Rhode Island Woods Circle,Orlando | Jan. 22, 2026 | 6-7 p.m. |
After the community meetings, the school board will hold another work session at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27. For more information on the rezoning timeline, visit the OCPS website.