Orange County board approves agreement to convert Orange Center Elementary into charter with LIFT Orlando

The Orange County School Board voted Oct. 28 to accept an agreement with LIFT Orlando that sets a path for Orange Center Elementary to convert to a charter school operated in partnership with the nonprofit and — if enrollment benchmarks are met — to expand into a K–8 campus.

Member Felder moved and Member Ferrant seconded the motion, which the board approved after public comment from parents and LIFT representatives and a discussion of enrollment, governance and capital funding. Chair Jacobs declared the motion carried.

What the board approved: The board accepted an agreement that outlines the partnership framework between the school district and LIFT Orlando, including community supports, an education plan for Orange Center and a path toward facility expansion. District staff said the agreement was built on prior memoranda of understanding and earlier meetings with LIFT dating to 2019–2020.

Enrollment and capital‑project trigger: District staff explained that conversion to a K–8 depends on meeting an enrollment threshold close to the building’s Florida Inventory of School Houses (FISH) capacity. Orange Center’s FISH capacity was stated as 483 students; the agreement calls for the district…