Five construction projects are kicking off in Orange County Public Schools as part of a major building boom that includes 22 schools.
“Thank you to the taxpayers of Orange County for supporting the half-penny sales tax. That makes all this new construction possible,” said Superintendent Barbara Jenkins.
The projects, which will open in August 2017, are:
-Site 131-PS8-SW-5 (Downtown Orlando/Parramore), a preschool to eighth-grade campus, will include a preschool wing supported by the Harris Rosen Foundation, a branch of the Boys & Girls Club and access to community services.
-Site 27-H-W-4, a new high school to serve growth in West Windermere and Horizon West area.
-Site 52-M-SE-2, a new prototype middle school being built in the booming Lake Nona area.
-Site 21-M-E-2, a new prototype middle school being constructed to offer relief to the Avalon/Timber Springs area.
-Carver Middle School, which is being rebuilt as a 1,215-student prototype on an existing site.
In addition, nine elementary schools will begin construction later this year to open in 2017. They are Cypress Park, Engelwood, Oak Hill, Rock Lake, Mollie Ray, Ivey Lane and Meadow Woods, as well as relief schools on the site of MetroWest Elementary and in Lake Nona (Site 44-E-SE-2).
“In Orange County, we have one of the most aggressive, forward-looking school construction programs in the nation,” said Chief Facilities Officer John Morris. “These new facilities will allow OCPS to continue to provide the best possible learning environment for our nearly 200,000 students.”
This year, OCPS is opening eight schools: Site 81-E-SW-5 (new elementary in the Millenia Gardens area), Site 117-E-SW-4 (new elementary in Lakeside Village, Horizon West), Site 2-K8-E-1 (new K-8 in Wedgefield), plus comprehensive renovations of Lockhart, Riverside and Dream Lake elementaries and replacements of Tangelo Park and Ventura elementaries.
The 2016 and 2017 schools, the largest project load in recent history, will cost $613.5 million and create nearly 19,000 jobs.
(For more information, please contact Lauren Roth in Facilities Communications at 407.317.3700 ext. 2023774.)