Parents at Eccleston Elementary in west Orange County say a proposed Orange County Public Schools consolidation plan would turn a manageable walk into a much longer and potentially riskier commute for young students. Eccleston is one of seven campuses the district is considering closing as enrollment drops and costs climb, with a school board vote on the proposal set for March 10. Families say the rezoning could upend daily routines, longtime friendships, and after-school childcare networks built around the neighborhood school.
Parents Walk the Proposed Route
Eccleston parent Lexus Cutter decided to test the district’s proposal on her own feet. She walked the route her first- and second-grade children would have to take and said their current roughly 30-minute walk to Eccleston could stretch to nearly 50 minutes if they are reassigned to Washington Shores Elementary. That longer route, she said, would send them across busier streets and through areas she considers unfamiliar for young kids.
District officials told ClickOrlando that students who live more than two miles from their assigned campus qualify for bus transportation, while families living inside that radius may not have a bus option. Officials also said exceptional student education (ESE) students currently receive transportation, and that any new walking routes would be reviewed for safety.
Numbers Behind the Move
District leaders say the consolidation push is driven largely by empty seats. Eccleston, built for about 684 students, currently enrolls roughly 334. The district’s plan would rezone those students to Washington Shores Elementary in an effort to balance capacity between the two schools. Central Florida Public Media reported those figures and noted that the broader seven-school consolidation proposal is part of an effort to close an estimated $41 million budget gap tied to declining enrollment.
What the District Is Proposing
In an internal staff email and presentation, planners laid out a list of “potential uses” for campuses that could be closed, including the possibility of turning Eccleston into a pediatric health facility as part of a phased conversion starting in fiscal year 2027. WESH reported on those reuse ideas…