Orange County Public Schools said the district could be at a $2.7 billion dollar deficit, between fiscal years 2024 and 2033 if a half-penny sales tax extension doesn’t go through.
The district’s Chief Facilities Officer Rory Salimbene said the funding is needed to fulfill a facilities budget in the district that’s used to build new school buildings and renovate old ones.
The district estimates it will need to build 15 new schools by 2034 just to keep up with predicted student growth.
In a statement, the schools said they predict student enrollment will jump to as much as 230,000 students a year by the 2034-2035 school year, up from over 207,000 now.
OCPS district spokesperson Andy Orrell said thousands of new students moved here from outside the area over the past several years.
“Orange County was still building new homes at a rate of 9,000 units in 2023 and the school district has growth areas that continue to require new school openings. In addition, planned residential housing projects are in the works that will keep Orange County growing for the next decade and beyond,” Orrell said.
Voters will decide whether to approve a ten-year extension of the half-penny sales tax in November.
Watch the full presentation on facilities costs here:
