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City staff say Orange County is moving ahead with planned STEAM specialty school; council seeks town‑hall presentation
Summary
City staff briefed council on Orange County Public Schools’ concept plans for a STEAM specialty school near CCA; OCPS told the city preliminary traffic work shows limited local impact and plans a March town hall. The chief flagged changing responsibilities for a school resource officer.
City staff and the police chief updated the council on a concept plan presented by Orange County Public Schools for a specialty STEAM school on county property near CCA. The city’s point person said OCPS and its design team have prepared concept drawings showing a small student population, parking and a separate drop‑off area; OCPS indicated it had spoken with nearby residents and planned a further town‑hall meeting in March.
"They basically have concept plans. They show the building. They show the parking lot, outdoor recreation, all fenced," the city manager summarized. A representative of the county’s design team told the group, "We know what we're doing. We've done this before and we're going to do it," according to the staff account of the meeting.
Chief (police) told council that OCPS initially said the district would provide school‑based policing but later indicated the city might be expected to provide a school resource officer (SRO). The chief said the planned student population appeared small and some instruction would be delivered offsite by staff and mentors, reducing peak drop‑off traffic; however, he recommended OCPS include security and traffic management detail in later plans.
Commissioner Veroli questioned the scale and cost after staff said the project could be in the tens of millions; staff said the price tag reported in external trade press was roughly $50 million and noted OCPS sees the facility as a short‑term placement to support students who need intensive attention. Council asked staff to request a formal presentation from OCPS and to alert residents ahead of the March town hall.
