ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Tensions ran high during a packed community gathering in Orange County on Tuesday evening, as concerned parents and local residents voiced their apprehensions to district officials regarding the potential closure of several schools.

The meeting marked the first in a series of discussions organized by Orange County Public Schools to address the possibility of closing seven schools due to diminishing student numbers. At Union Park Middle School, a large crowd gathered, eager to obtain clarity and express their discontent with the district’s proposal.

“This is truly heartbreaking,” lamented Carmen Hernandez, whose daughter is currently in sixth grade at Union Park Middle School. Hernandez attended the meeting to convey her strong opposition to the suggested closures.

“As students, they cherish the chance to grow alongside their peers,” Hernandez explained. “My daughter is forming bonds with friends, some of whom she has known since elementary school. This is more than just a school; it’s a community. We need to stand united, but it’s undeniably distressing.”

Elaine Kaufman, a resident in close proximity to Union Park Middle School, emphasized that closing the school would have profound and lasting effects on the local community.

“It’s just a breakup of the community,” Kaufman said. “It’s not going to be the same.”

District officials outlined a proposal that would close Union Park Middle School along with Bonneville Elementary, Chickasaw Elementary, Orlo Vista Elementary, Eccleston Elementary, Meadow Woods Elementary and McCoy Elementary.

According to Orange County Public Schools, the schools are operating well below capacity due to several factors, including an aging population, declining birth rates and increased participation in school choice programs.

Union Park Middle School, for example, has a capacity of approximately 1,500 students but currently enrolls fewer than 600, district officials said.

School Board member Angie Gallo acknowledged the frustration expressed by families but said consolidation is necessary.

“I feel for them. I understand why they are frustrated. I understand why they are mad. I would be, too, as a parent,” Gallo said. “We want to do right by all these families, and we know this is hard and difficult. I wish we didn’t have to be here.”

The Orange County School Board is scheduled to discuss the proposed closures during a workshop meeting on Jan. 27.