<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3bfYJ2_1GxiOcfT00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3bfYJ2_1GxiOcfT00" width="1280" height="720" >ORLANDO, Fla. — Declining enrollment numbers have leaders at Orange County Public Schools rethinking how they will run the district in the future.OCPS has almost 37,000 empty seats right now, and district leaders say they may need to close more schools in the future.Enrollment at Lake Gem Elementary near Clarcona has dropped 22% in a year, and the school is nearly half full. It’s well below the capacity the district says a school needs to break even on its budget.District leaders met Tuesday to analyze declining numbers.“We can’t continue to support under-enrolled schools,” School Chair-Elect Angie Gallo said. “It’s not fiscally responsible. It’s not fair to our educators who deserve a living wage.”The district’s October enrollment numbers show 48 elementary schools have fewer than 500 students.Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez says it’s time to rethink how schools are set up.“We have the opportunity to rethink how we educate our children, not just in the content but also in the structure of our schools,” Vazquez said.Vazquez is calling for a district-wide master plan. It could redraw school attendance zones, turn some elementary schools into K-8 schools and expand magnet programs. If those fixes don’t work, she says closures are possible.“We landed at about nine that are still below that threshold. So those could be schools that if we don’t find an alternative solution, we may need to have discussions about closures,” Vazquez said.District data doesn’t show enrollment rebounding over the next decade. Leaders also point to state-funded private school scholarships as competition for students, which means less funding per student for the school district.Vazquez believes the district has to convince parents that OCPS is the best choice for their children.OCPS says it has lost 6,300 students from immigrant families leaving over the last two years, adding to the enrollment decline.</div></body>

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Declining enrollment numbers have leaders at Orange County Public Schools rethinking how they will run the district in the future. OCPS has almost 37,000 empty seats right now, and district leaders say they may need to close more schools in the future. Enrollment at Lake Gem...

OCPS faces 37,000 empty seats as district rethinks future

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Declining enrollment numbers have leaders at Orange County Public Schools rethinking how they will run the district in the future. OCPS has

OCPS faces 37,000 empty seats as district rethinks future

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