Gabrielle Russon
Parents, students and District employees can all breathe a collective sigh of relief in Orange County Public Schools.
Two middle schools with construction projects going down to the wire just barely opened in time for the first day of school.
Howard Middle School, a century-old building near Lake Eola that boasts astronaut John Young as a famous alumnus, was undergoing a nearly $37 million rebuild. The project included renovating the building’s roof, gym, media center and performance areas.
Meanwhile in Lake Nona, a growing area of Orlando, the district was also building Luminary Middle School.
On Friday — 72 hours before the first day of school — officials were unsure when Howard and Luminary middles would open. Both schools needed their certificates of occupancy in order to open in time for Monday’s first school day of school. The District said the work went on around the clock to meet the deadlines.
“We have received the necessary approvals for faculty and staff to return to campus (Sunday), to prepare for our students to return to school … Monday, August 12,” Howard Middle Principal John McHale said in a voice message to parents over the weekend.
“Again, I want to thank you all for your patience. I truly appreciate the commitment of our teachers, support staff and the administrative team for their hard work and flexibility over the last week.”
At both schools, the construction projects added stress to parents and students whose normal back-to-school routine, like meeting their teachers, was disrupted.
At Luminary, families were invited to tour their brand-new campus Saturday evening although some teachers could attend at the last minute.
“We are very excited to welcome our students to campus,” Luminary Middle Principal Jeff Aldridge said in a voice message to families alerting them that school was open Monday.
