District Newsroom

VCS celebrates opening of new Orange City Elementary

ORANGE CITY—Volusia County Schools held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new Orange City Elementary School, a beautiful new campus that pays homage to the original school’s Spanish Mission architecture.

School, district, and local leaders, as well as community members, attended Friday’s celebration for Orange City Elementary, which achieved growth in every academic component this past school year.

“I think this building beautifully encapsulates the past, the present, and our future,” Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said. “It is the heartbeat of a community. It represents possibility; it represents opportunity; it represents hope. A school also represents the belief that every child, regardless of their background, deserves the chance to learn, deserves the chance to discover who they are truly, truly meant to be.”

The school originally opened in 1878.

Volusia County School Board Vice Chair Ruben Colón, representing District 5, was proud to see the Board’s decision to upgrade the school finally come to fruition.

“Now, here we are standing in front of a beautiful new campus, sleek, strong, and ready for a new era,” Colón said. “This isn’t just a building; it’s a launch pad. It’s a love letter to the future.”

Funded in part by the half-cent sales tax, Orange City Elementary has upgraded technology, flexible and collaborative spaces, a new media center, administrative offices, art and music classrooms, and bus and parent pick-up and drop-off driveways. The school can accommodate more than 700 students.

“Sometimes it felt like our campus was more like a construction zone than a school, but through it all, we never lost sight of what matters: our students and their learning,” Principal Virginia Freeman said. “Even with the noise, dust, and constant adjustments, we've continued to make gains in the classroom.”

The school was designed by Schenkel Shultz Architecture and built by Ajax Building Company.

###

Volusia County Schools’ vision is to create life-long learners prepared for an ever-changing global society. The VCS Strategic Plan: www.vcsedu.org/strategic-plan.

Media Contact: