5 brand new campuses to welcome thousands of students in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — When Orange County students head back to the classroom on Wednesday, some will be stepping onto brand new campuses.

Orange County Public Schools will open five new schools on Aug. 10.

The district said the schools will increase student capacity in growing areas like Apopka, Horizon West and Meadow Woods.

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Combined, the new schools will add nearly 5,000 seats and bring the district’s total number of schools to 210.

“The southwest part of Orange County is our fastest growing area. We’ve added 9000 students in this area in the past five years alone,” said Lauren Roth, OCPS Assistant Director of Public Relations.

Channel 9′s Christy Turner recently got to tour some of the new schools and found out what makes them unique.

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The facilities are state of the art and built to green global standards.

“Insulated glass on the windows that helps keep the heat from the outside,” explained Craig Jackson, OCPS Senior Construction Director.

“The roof is a reflective surface, so it’s bright white and it reflects the sunlight. So all those things combined keep our utility bills as low as we possibly can.”

Since 2003, the district has built 64 new schools, and the building trend is expected to continue.

“We’re looking at possibly five new schools in 2024. Plans can change as we get a little bit closer, but we are planning on 15 new schools between next year and 2030,” Roth said.

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Hamlin Middle School Principal Suzanne Knight is elated to begin the school year.

“I’m just excited. I can’t wait for us to start,” she beamed.

“Just to be able to build the culture from the ground up starting with literally the building — bringing out the culture for the kids, for the community.”

Here are the names and locations of the five new campuses:

• Kelly Park School (K-8) 4700 Jason Dwelley Parkway, Apopka, FL 32712
• Panther Lake ES 10151 Summerlake Groves Street, Winter Garden, FL 34787
• Hamlin ES 16145 Silver Grove Boulevard, Winter Garden, FL 34787
• Hamlin MS 16025 Silver Grove Boulevard, Winter Garden, FL 34787
• Stonewyck ES 3001 Stonewyck Street, Orlando, FL 32824

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