There will be a meeting on September 15th that
will affect the education of all students in the Windermere, Dr Phillips, and
Hunters Creek areas. With the explosive
growth that has occurred over the last few years in those specific areas, the
three high schools have been left quite overcrowded. Currently, Freedom High School, the school
for the Hunters Creek area, has more than 3,760 students, significantly more
than the 2,600 it was designed for. Doctor Phillips High School, which was designed for 2,800 students, has
close to 3,700, and Windermere High School, which was opened less than three
years ago and designed for 2,750 currently has over 3,900 students.
Due to Covid restrictions, the meeting will be live streamed
at 4:30pm. Click
here for the link to
the stream.
While the Hunters Creek, Doctor Phillips, and Windermere
areas all have great things about them that make them individually great places
to call home, the three schools have a bit of a standard for being some of the
best education around. Just recently,
Freedom High School was named one of the best in the nation, and Windermere High
has world class technology in its classrooms. While one would expect that any school that services these areas should meet
the same high standards set by these three, residents are understandably a bit
concerned, and public comments will be accepted at the meeting.
In my view, while it may inconvenience the students
currently in those schools, obviously relief schools are needed, and it would
be safe to assume that the two new schools that would emerge(one new school
will split students from Dr Phillips and Freedom, and the other new school will
split students from Windermere High and West Orange High School) would meet or
exceed the same award winning standards set by these three great schools.