Enrollment Drop, Funding Deficit Force OCPS to Weigh 7 Closures
- T Michele Walker
- Dec 11
- 2 min read
Orange County Public Schools is thinking about closing up to seven schools, and the reason is pretty clear: fewer kids are enrolling.
Over the last three years, the district lost more than 8,300 students. For the 2025-2026 school year alone, enrollment dropped by 5,539 students—a nearly 3% dip. With fewer students, the district expects to lose $41 million in state funding, maybe even more. That kind of loss stings.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Orange County School Board will meet to talk through possible closures. The schools on the list: Union Park Middle, Bonneville Elementary, Chickasaw Elementary, Orlo Vista Elementary, Eccleston Elementary, Meadow Woods Elementary, and McCoy Elementary.
Why these schools? The district says running a school at half its capacity doesn’t cut costs in half. The bills and overhead stay high, whether the building is full or half-empty. It just doesn’t work financially.
So what’s behind the falling enrollment? Several things. Neighborhoods have changed. Birth rates are down. Florida’s voucher programs have expanded, drawing kids away. Changes in federal immigration policy play a part too. Altogether, it adds up to fewer students.
The district hasn’t made any final calls yet; nothing’s official. The December 16 work session is for discussion, not decisions. No set dates yet for any closures or changes.
Meanwhile, Orange County Public Schools, the fourth-largest district in Florida, is trying to turn things around. They’ve hired Caissa Public Strategy, a Tennessee-based company that specializes in student recruitment. So far, Caissa has helped bring in about 1,900 students. The school board just voted to keep working with them—under the deal, the district pays about $935 for every student Caissa recruits or brings back.
Nobody on the board wants to close schools. As Board Chair Teresa Jacobs put it, “It’s not something any of us want to do.” But with less money and half-empty buildings, the district faces some tough choices.