School Board holds workshop on school rezonings

Orange County School Board held a workshop earlier this week to review potential rezoning options for three West Orange County-area neighborhoods. The rezoning affects the newly named high schools, Lake Buena Vista and Horizon. Surveys were held for each, and those are now closed.

• Heritage Place and Crystal Creek neighborhoods – These two neighborhoods are currently zoned for Lake Buena Vista High School (80-H-SW-4). The recommendation is to move the 106 high school students to Freedom HS attendance zone. A total of 17 people responded to the survey, with 15 supporting the rezoning and two opposed.

• East side of Independence community – This area is zoned for Horizon High School (113-H-W-4). The recommendation is to move the 207 high school students to Windermere High School attendance zone. The survey breakdown is as follows: 98 supported targeted rezoning and 44 were opposed; 30 were opposed to splitting the community; and 31 were opposed to attending Horizon High.

“The majority of those that gave a response requested that the neighborhood stay together. However, there is a point, especially within the master planned community of Horizon West, that we may have to split neighborhoods, but I am not ready to make that the precedent,” Vice Chair Pam Gould, School Board member District 4, said during the board members’ discussion. “I believe it would be better to keep the neighborhood together and keep that pattern of services and classes together as much as we can.”

The proposed changes will go to the Jan. 12 School Board meeting for discussion and a vote.