OCPS, LIFT Orlando discuss converting Orange Center Elementary to K–8 neighborhood school partnership

Orange County Public Schools and nonprofit LIFT Orlando detailed a proposed public‑private partnership to convert Orange Center Elementary into a K–8 neighborhood school, with district and LIFT officials describing a memorandum of agreement they intend to put on a future school board docket.

The discussion Monday at the school board work session focused on governance, accountability, staffing and timeline. Dr. Vasquez, the superintendent, framed the proposal as an effort to expand an existing neighborhood partnership and asked the board to consider the memorandum of agreement as a way to deepen long‑term investment in the school and surrounding feeder pattern.

The nut of the proposal, as described by Eddie Morton, identified in the meeting as CEO of LIFT Orlando, is a multi‑year partnership that would embed LIFT’s place‑based services — housing, early learning, health and workforce programs — with the school’s operations. Morton said LIFT has invested about $120,000,000 in the neighborhood over the last 13 years and credited that work with cutting childhood poverty in the area and driving a recent enrollment increase of more than 90 students.

Board members asked for specifics. Member Vannell…