New Schools for Southwest

When children in MetroWest head back to school in August, one-half of the elementary-age students will attend a new school adjacent to their old one.

Orange County Public Schools is building a new elementary school next to the existing MetroWest Elementary School. Currently more than 1,600 youngsters attend MWES, twice its design capacity.

“This will allow students to have a school that’s typical, rather than with 200 percent crowding,” said Lauren Roth, spokesperson for the school district.

With the current crowding, some children eat lunch as early as 10:30 in the morning and as late as 1:45 in the afternoon. Each school will have its own media center and playgrounds. The schools also will each have nurses, guidance counselors, music teachers and media specialists.
“If the students are in a more ideally sized school, the resources will be adequate to the number of students,” Roth said. “Students also will be able to form more personal relationships” with the principal and other staff members.

Two MetroWest Schools

The schools will have their own entrances and parent drop-off loops, and the district is considering staggering the start and finish times to assist with transportation needs. Although the schools will be side by side, they each will have different names. Patricia G. Smith was named principal. Teachers will have the option of transferring to the new building, following union processes.

Construction is progressing at the new elementary school in MetroWest. MetroWest Elementary School will transfer one-half of its students to the new school this August.

Before construction began on the new elementary school, officials at OCPS considered eight different locations for a relief school. However, the current site proved the best, because students would be able to stay at MWES. The other sites were outside of the community. The original 25-acre campus was enough to accommodate two traditionally sized
elementary schools.

Students from north of the campus will attend the northern school, and students from the south are zoned to the southern school. No children from outside the area will be zoned to attend the MetroWest elementary schools. The new school cost $20.4 million to build.

Windermere High School

Also in Southwest, Windermere High School will open in August. The school will relieve crowding at West Orange High School, which has the highest population in the county at about 4,300 students.

The new $93.5 million school has a capacity of 2,776 and is situated on 66 acres. It does not have a football stadium; however, one is being built at another location, with the county and school district sharing the cost of construction. This school faced significant local resident opposition because of it being located in the West Windermere Rural Settlement. The school broke ground in the fall of 2015, and OCPS is spending $2.5 million for architectural upgrades. ♥