Osceola County School District is considering hiring a third-party consultant to persuade families to return students to district schools, a step that could cost $935 for each student who re-enrolls.

Over recent years, Florida public schools have seen falling enrollment amid declining birth rates and expansion of the state’s school voucher program.

Osceola County School District officials say the district is only two points away from earning an A grade, but leaders acknowledge challenges remain — including concerns from some parents about the recent integration of the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program into general classrooms.

Back to school this year means significant changes for the Osceola County school district.

The Osceola County School District is taking proactive steps to reduce accidents involving school buses and their blind spots.

Back to school this year means significant changes for the Osceola County School District as it consolidates Exceptional Student Education services for children with special needs.

With a population boom happening in St. Cloud, the Osceola County School District is looking forward to a new high school that will serve thousands of students

The Osceola County School District is hosting thousands of students and their families for the 2024 Choice Fair at Osceola Heritage Park.

The Osceola County School District is set to discuss attendance rezoning for the 2024/2025 school year.

An Osceola County School District IT specialist accused of possessing child pornography was arrested Thursday, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Osceola County School District will host a job fair to fill multiple positions across different district departments.

The Osceola County school district held their first day of ‘Welcome Back Training’ for bus drivers.

A job fair will seek to hire more bus drivers for the Osceola County School District as district officials say the school year is on track to start with a shortage.

Following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 18 students and 3 adults, several Central Florida school districts have announced special measures to ensure students safety as the school year wraps up.

Celebration K-8 will move to digital-only learning starting Wednesday.

Extra officers will be on campus at Tohopekaliga High School on Friday, according to the Osceola County School District.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A citizens advisory work group on Wednesday listened to presentations about the role of school resource officers tasked to serve the Osceola County School District. Melendez said the incident and growing debate about school resource officers is what prompted him to form the group of community members. Melendez said the Osceola County School Board does not have a school resource officer policy in place; just expectations set forth by local law enforcement agencies. For the first meeting, the group focused on gathering information about these school resource officers. The work group plans to meet in two weeks to begin drafting language for a policy Melendez would like to present to the school board.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Osceola County School District launched a program to help close the academic achievement gap, which Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace said has been exacerbated by the pandemic. “We did see a much higher percentage of students in a digital environment with Ds and Fs first semester,” Pace said. The district’s new program will offer help before and after school, as well as Saturday school, according to Pace. For the students learning digitally, Pace said teachers will offer classes in a much smaller group setting than what a normal classroom offers. In terms of the subjects, Pace said the achievement gap is most significant in math.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A Poinciana High School teacher has been reassigned after Osceola County School District officials received a complaint regarding an incident that happened during a virtual lesson. School district officials said Wednesday they received a Let’s Talk message on the district website about an incident involving a teacher who was recorded on video during a lesson. The incident is now under a human resource investigation. “The teacher has been reassigned out of the classroom to an area with no children until the outcome of the investigation by our HR Department,” Osceola School District public information officer Dana Schafer said in an email. Check back for updates on this developing story.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Students and staff in Osceola County schools will have new requirements when entering the classroom. According to a Facebook post from Osceola County School District, face masks will be required on all campuses across the district, for students and staff. “We’ve updated our face mask requirements as we continue to learn more about the most effective procedures for keeping everyone healthy,” the post said. School officials said single-lined neck gaiters are no longer considered an acceptable face-covering. “We appreciate your continued support as we work together for a successful school year for all,” school officials concluded.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. The Osceola County School District announced the fall sports schedule. Runners in Cross Country will begin practice the week of Aug. 24 and will have their first race on the week of Sept. 7. Golfers will hit the greens the week of Aug. 24 and will have their first contest on the week of Sept. 7. Swimmers return to the pool the week of Aug. 24 and their first race will be on the week of Sept. 7. Bowlers return to the lanes on the week of Aug. 24 and will have a match on the week of Sept. 7.

The Osceola County School District announced students will be required to wear face coverings at all times while in the classrooms. [RELATED: Everything you need to know about Osceola Countys back-to-school plan]Polk County Schools and Volusia County Schools will also require face coverings on campus when students return amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Face coverings will be required for Polk County students K-12 when they are on school grounds or on district-provided transportation. This does not include when a student is involved in an activity when a face covering would not be appropriate. School officials in Volusia County said face coverings will be worn by students, employees, and visitors while on school property.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. Keily Rodriguez said she got a phone call from the Osceola County School District on Tuesday night about their plans on reopening schools and decided her 11-year-old daughter will not return to school in August. Rodriguez said shes glad the district was able to give parents the choice of whether or not their children should return back to class and said her daughter will do virtual learning instead. "The safety of the students and the staff is gotta be number one and so yes, not coming to school hurts the students no matter what," Soto explained. Another parent, Xiomara Cross, said shes thinking her 10-year-old son will likely return to school in August, despite the number of COVID-19 cases. Parents have until July 15 to make a decision about enrollment.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. The Osceola County School District canceled all traditional graduation ceremonies, saying the decision was made to help keep students safe during the coronavirus pandemic. The district had postponed graduations traditionally held in May in hopes that health and safety conditions as a result of COVID-19 had improved. Public health officials reporting Osceola County has seen more than 1,000 COVID-19 tests come back positive, with at least 23 people dying due to complications with the virus. The district says individual high schools are making plans to honor the 4,500 new graduates across the county. Our high school principals have developed new plans to celebrate our graduates on a smaller scale to ensure the health and safety of all involved.