This meeting combines routine school board business with several decisions that have long-term implications for Orange County Public Schools. The board is scheduled to conduct public hearings on the 2026-27 tentative budget, adopt the related millage, and consider revisions to major student policies governing progression, technology use, and student parking.
The packet also outlines a significant facilities planning effort. The district continues implementing school consolidations, enrollment balancing, and long-range capital planning through its Educational Plant Survey and Five-Year Work Plan. Multiple elementary and middle schools would be renovated, repurposed, or transitioned into ancillary district facilities as enrollment patterns change. Several projects involve multimillion-dollar investments in HVAC systems, renovations, classroom additions, and campus modernization.
Personnel actions represent another major portion of the meeting. The consent agenda includes numerous appointments, principal changes, administrative promotions, retirements, and newly created positions across instructional, facilities, transportation, food service, grants, and exceptional student education programs. The board is also considering updates to salary schedules, including new occupational and physical therapist classifications.
Additional notable topics include charter school contract modifications, review of a challenged library book, construction management contracts for major school renovations, financial reports, procurement awards, grant agreements, career education partnerships, mental health funding, and expansion of student support initiatives extending through 2029.
Major Discussion and Action Items
Adoption of the 2026-27 Tentative Budget and Millage
One of the meeting's most significant actions is the public hearing and adoption of both the tentative operating budget and the property tax millage supporting the 2026-27 fiscal year. These hearings establish the district's preliminary financial plan before final budget adoption later in the budget cycle. The decisions affect district operations, staffing, instructional programs, transportation, facilities, and taxpayer-supported revenue.
Student Policy Revisions
The board is scheduled to hold public hearings on revisions to the Student Progression Plan, a proposed policy governing appropriate use of electronic resources, and a policy addressing student automobile use and parking. These policies affect how students advance academically, expectations for technology use, and campus parking privileges. Public hearings provide the opportunity for formal board action following required review.
Long-Range School Facilities Planning
The packet includes updates to the Educational Plant Survey and Five-Year Work Plan reflecting ongoing school consolidations and facility repurposing. Several campuses—including Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, McCoy, Union Park Middle, Gateway Campus, and others—are planned for conversion to ancillary district uses or specialized programs. Other schools are identified to receive redistributed enrollment from consolidation efforts. The planning documents demonstrate how changing enrollment is influencing capital investment priorities across the district.
Major Construction and Renovation Projects
The consent agenda includes approval of construction management services for comprehensive renovations at Southwood Elementary School and Lakeville Elementary School, together with multiple construction change orders affecting projects at Apopka High School, Jones High School, Winter Park High School, Bishop Moore-related potable water improvements, and the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center cooling tower project. These actions support continuing modernization of district facilities.
Personnel Leadership Changes
The personnel agenda includes appointments of new administrators, assistant principals, program specialists, police personnel, sustainability leadership, grants management staff, occupational and physical therapists, and food service managers. The agenda also contains numerous principal transfers, promotions, retirements, resignations, and acting assignments affecting schools throughout Orange County.
Charter School and Instructional Program Decisions
The board is scheduled to consider modifying the charter contract with UCP Bailes Early Childhood Academy Charter School to expand service through second grade. The consent agenda also includes approval of a National Defense Cadet Corps/JROTC unit at Horizon High School and agreements supporting career education and vocational experiences with Siemens Energy, Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, and the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
Library Material Reconsideration
Board members will review the challenged publication The Beats: A Graphic History following consideration by the District Literacy Council. The board is expected to make the final decision regarding the previously submitted request for reconsideration of the media center material.
Financial Matters
The packet includes approval of monthly financial statements through May 31, 2026, together with procurement recommendations scheduled for award on July 28, 2026.
The Educational Plant Survey identifies numerous capital investments supporting enrollment changes and modernization. Examples include:
- Roberto Clemente Middle School renovation estimated at approximately $24.4 million.
- Wyndham Lakes Elementary improvements totaling approximately $20.6 million, including both renovations and classroom additions.
- Glenridge Middle classroom expansion estimated at approximately $5.3 million.
- Legacy Middle renovation estimated at $4.0 million.
- Union Park Middle renovation estimated at $4.0 million as part of conversion to ancillary use.
- Discovery Middle remodeling estimated at approximately $2.94 million.
- Ventura Elementary classroom additions estimated at approximately $2.91 million.
- Columbia Elementary renovation and site improvements totaling approximately $2.68 million.
- Bonneville Elementary renovation estimated at approximately $2.09 million.
- McCoy Elementary renovation and remodeling estimated at approximately $2.03 million.
- Eagle's Nest Elementary and East Lake Elementary HVAC renovations estimated at approximately $2 million each.
Additional financial actions include grant-related approvals, Mental Health Assistance Allocation renewal, continuation of the 3DE educational model through June 30, 2029, Take Stock in Children agreements, United Way partnership extensions through July 2029, procurement awards, construction management contracts, and multiple legal agreements affecting district property interests.
Policies, Ordinances, Resolutions, and Governance
The board is considering several governance matters requiring public hearings:
- Revised Student Progression Plan.
- Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources policy.
- Student Automobile Use and Parking policy.
- Adoption of tentative millage.
- Adoption of the tentative district budget.
Governance actions also include approval of minutes from multiple June and July meetings, nomination of an alternate citizen member to the Value Adjustment Board, legal easements, property agreements, Department of Transportation agreement amendments, and other governance-related approvals supporting district operations.
The meeting includes recognitions, celebrations, district association reports, and an annual Internal Audit strategic plan update.
The superintendent is scheduled to provide operational updates, including notification that annual comprehensive facility inspections for the 2025-26 school year have been completed and certified. Information regarding bus stops for the 2026-27 school year will also be presented.
The chief internal auditor and school district general counsel are scheduled to provide reports to the board. These informational presentations support board oversight but are not listed as action items.
Personnel, Appointments, and Organizational Matters
The personnel agenda is extensive and includes dozens of appointments, promotions, transfers, resignations, retirements, temporary acting assignments, and newly created positions.
Notable staffing actions include new grant administration leadership, sustainability coordination, occupational and physical therapy positions, district police appointments, transportation management changes, assistant principal appointments, principal assignments at multiple schools, and food service management positions. The packet also reflects leadership transitions resulting from retirements and resignations across elementary, middle, and district administrative offices.
The salary schedule is proposed for revision to add a new ten-month Physical/Occupational Therapist classification and a new Multipurpose Vehicle Operator classification, with implementation dates beginning July 2026.
The packet also recognizes the passing of Oak Ridge High instructor Katherine Snow, who served Orange County Public Schools since January 2002.
Projects, Facilities, Infrastructure, and Operations
Facilities planning remains one of the meeting's largest operational themes.
Several schools are identified for future ancillary or specialized uses, including Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, Gateway Campus, McCoy, and Union Park Middle. Orlo Vista is proposed to become the Orange County Virtual School campus. Meadow Woods Elementary is expected to temporarily house Southwood Elementary students during Southwood's future renovation before transitioning to ancillary use.
Enrollment balancing plans redistribute students among schools including Columbia, Deerwood, Eagle's Nest, East Lake, Engelwood, Glenridge, Oak Hill, Roberto Clemente, Ventura, Washington Shores, and Wyndham Lakes. Several campuses would receive classroom additions or relocatable classrooms to accommodate projected enrollment growth.
Operational consent items also include construction management contracts, water system improvements, cooling tower work, transportation agreements, utility easements, procurement actions, and annual work plan updates supporting long-term district infrastructure.
The public hearing portion of the meeting includes opportunities for public input before board action on:
- Student Progression Plan revisions.
- Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources policy.
- Student Automobile Use and Parking policy.
- Adoption of the tentative millage.
- Adoption of the 2026-27 tentative budget.
Community members also have the opportunity to observe discussion regarding the challenged library material before the board renders its final decision.
Students and families may be affected by revised academic progression rules, technology policies, parking requirements, expanded JROTC opportunities, charter school expansion, mental health funding, and future school assignment changes resulting from facility planning.
Employees are affected through extensive hiring, promotions, leadership changes, salary schedule updates, and organizational restructuring.
Taxpayers have an interest in the tentative budget, millage adoption, and long-term capital investments supporting school modernization and enrollment management.
Neighborhoods surrounding schools identified for consolidation, ancillary conversion, or major renovation may experience operational changes as educational programs relocate and facilities receive new district functions.
Business and nonprofit partners continue expanding their role through career education, workforce development, grants, mentoring, and student support partnerships extending through 2029.
- What assumptions were used in developing the 2026-27 tentative budget?
- How will the proposed millage affect district revenues and taxpayers?
- How will students be reassigned during planned school consolidations and renovations?
- What timeline will govern conversion of schools to ancillary district facilities?
- How will virtual education expansion at the Orlo Vista campus affect existing programs?
- What outcomes are expected from the major renovation investments identified in the Educational Plant Survey?
- How will the revised Student Progression Plan change academic expectations?
- What safeguards are included in the proposed electronic resources policy?
- How will charter school expansion affect enrollment and district resources?
- How will construction projects minimize disruption to students and staff?
Important Dates, Deadlines, and Next Steps
- July 28, 2026: Public hearings on student policies, tentative millage, and tentative budget; board consideration of consent agenda and major action items.
- 2026-27 School Year: Renewal of Mental Health Assistance Allocation and implementation of numerous operational agreements.
- Through June 30, 2029: Proposed continuation and expansion of the 3DE educational model.
- Through July 2029: Partnership agreements supporting upliftED and Take Stock in Children.
- 2027 and beyond: Multiple facility renovations, classroom additions, enrollment balancing projects, and campus repurposing identified in the Educational Plant Survey and Five-Year Work Plan.
Key Takeaways
- The board will conduct public hearings on the tentative budget and property tax millage.
- Three significant student policies are scheduled for public hearing and board action.
- Long-range facility planning includes school consolidations, ancillary conversions, and enrollment balancing.
- Multiple campuses are slated for multimillion-dollar renovations and capital improvements.
- Construction management contracts are proposed for Southwood and Lakeville Elementary projects.
- Extensive personnel appointments, promotions, and leadership changes are included.
- New salary classifications are proposed for occupational and physical therapists and other positions.
- Charter school expansion and JROTC program growth are scheduled for board consideration.
- Mental health, workforce development, and student support partnerships continue through multi-year agreements.
- Financial oversight includes monthly statements, procurement awards, and long-term capital planning.
Official Sources
About the Public Body
- Name: The School Board of Orange County, Florida
- Organization type: school-district
- Government body: school-boards
- Location: Orlando, florida
- County: Orange County
- Provider: boarddocs
Keywords
Orange County Public Schools, School Board of Orange County, Orlando, Florida, school board meeting, public hearing, tentative budget, millage, Student Progression Plan, electronic resources policy, student parking policy, Educational Plant Survey, Five-Year Work Plan, Southwood Elementary, Lakeville Elementary, Roberto Clemente Middle, Wyndham Lakes Elementary, school consolidations, ancillary facilities, construction management, procurement, personnel agenda, charter school, JROTC, mental health allocation, 3DE, Take Stock in Children, facilities planning, capital improvements
