Ormond Beach residents fight plan to move alternative school students to their neighborhood

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County School District’s decision to move 80 students from Riverview Learning Center in Daytona Beach to the site of the former Osceola Elementary School in Ormond Beach, has some residents up in arms.

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Resident Lindsey Wolf has concerns about the community’s safety.

“These Children have all committed offenses that no longer allow them to be on regular Volusia County Public School campuses. So why do they think if they’re a threat to those regular populations that they wouldn’t be a threat to my neighborhood,” said Wolf.

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The district said the decision came down to a need to consolidate two programs into one location.

Riverview Learning Center on Wild Olive Avenue will eventually become extra office space for district employees.

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Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington believes there would not be as much concern had the district done its due diligence with neighbors.

“The biggest issue is the lack of communication,” Partington said. “The school board is a an almost a billion-and-a-half-dollar entity and they need to have a community meeting and get public input before they just go and do what they want to do.”

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The district claims it did hold a community meeting, but the message went out to Volusia County school families, not residents.

There is a community meeting scheduled next week.

A spokesperson from the school district said the plan was voted on and approved at a February 27th board meeting.

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