Orange County District to Open 5 New Schools

Orange County Public Schools in Orange County, Fla., will open five new schools in August to accommodate rising enrollment figures, according to a news release.

The district plans to open three new elementary schools (Hamlin Elementary, Panther Lake Elementary and Stonewyck Elementary), one middle school (Hamlin Middle School) and one K–8 school (Kelly Park School). The five schools have combined total capacity of 5,000 students and bring the district’s total number of schools to 210, the ninth-largest in the U.S. The K–8 facility, Kelly Park, will absorb future growth in the area, the news release reports.

The construction project cost an estimated $156.2 million and created 1,155 jobs in the area. All schools were built according to Green Globes environmental construction standards, reports the news release.

The district will host a series of open houses before the schools open for the semester.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.