Eight schools in Horizon West are overcapacity to start the 2024-2025 school year, albeit at lower overages than in prior years. Atwater Bay Elementary School is a new school for Horizon West, helping relieve capacity from Water Spring Elementary, which was at 171% capacity last year, is now at 139% capacity, and remains the most overcrowded school in Horizon West. Atwater Bay started the year at 94% capacity.
An additional elementary school, Site 126-E-W-4, is planned to open in 2027 off of Hartzog Road. Seven more schools are planned for Horizon West, but are not yet funded in the OCPS long range capital improvement plan. The one-half cent sales surtax for Orange County Schools is up for renewal in the upcoming election.
One-Half Cent Sales Surtax for School Facilities Construction, Improvement, Land Acquisition, and Technology Implementation
Shall the School Board of Orange County, Florida continue the one-half cent sales surtax to fund the construction, reconstruction and improvement of school facilities, and land acquisition, land improvement and design and engineering costs, including any bond indebtedness, and the cost of retrofitting and providing technology implementation, beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2035, shared proportionately with charter schools as legally required, with continued oversight by an independent citizens’ committee?
Future proposed school sites include:
- 102-E-W-7: Elementary School along Marsh Rd
- 16-E-W-4: Elementary School in Summerport
- 29-E-SW-4: Elementary School by Overstreet Rd
- 115-E-W-4: Elementary School in Watermark
- 124-E-W-4: Elementary School in Ovation
- 125-M -W-4: Middle School by New Hartzog Rd
- 135-H-W-4: High School by Schofield Rd
Horizon West residents should double-check their voter registration before the October 7 deadline. Due to recent changes in the law, vote-by-mail requests now expire after each federal general election cycle in Florida. Unless a new request was submitted on or after January 1, 2023, you must submit a new request.
2024-2025 Horizon West School Enrollment Data:
Elementary Schools | Enrollment | Capacity | Usage |
Atwater Bay Elementary | 743 | 787 | 94% |
Bay Lake Elementary | 683 | 791 | 86% |
Castleview Elementary | 693 | 791 | 88% |
Hamlin Elementary | 546 | 791 | 69% |
Independence Elementary | 886 | 786 | 113% |
Keenes Crossing Elementary | 951 | 812 | 117% |
Panther Lake Elementary | 794 | 791 | 100% |
Summerlake Elementary | 729 | 751 | 97% |
Sunset Park Elementary | 701 | 760 | 92% |
Water Spring Elementary | 1006 | 725 | 139% |
Total | 7732 | 7785 | 99% |
Middle Schools | Enrollment | Capacity | Usage |
Bridgewater Middle | 1173 | 1028 | 114% |
Hamlin Middle | 950 | 1227 | 77% |
Horizon West Middle | 1328 | 1199 | 111% |
Water Spring Middle | 1063 | 1238 | 86% |
Total | 4514 | 4692 | 96% |
High Schools | Enrollment | Capacity | Usage |
Horizon High | 2688 | 2627 | 102% |
Windermere High School | 3213 | 2753 | 117% |
Total | 5901 | 5380 | 110% |
Enrollment | Capacity | Usage | |
Grand Total | 18147 | 17857 | 102% |
Even when with some capacity issues, Horizon West schools continue to deliver top performance for students, with every school receiving A grades.
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