OCPS leaders to discuss building bus depot in Winter Garden

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Winter Garden residents will have a chance to voice their concerns regarding a proposed Orange County Public Schools bus compound.

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It would go on the site of one of Orange County’s first schools for Black children.

“For 11 years, OCPS has been looking for a site for a bus compound in the Winter Garden area,” said Lauren Roth.

But residents in Winter Garden aren’t happy about the proposed location.

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The bus facility would replace the Orange Technical College westside campus after it moves to Ocoee in 2024.

The campus was formerly home to Drew High School, one of the first Orange County schools for Black students.

“Now they’re taking that away and putting 100 buses there. I mean, that’s the proposal. So it just seems kind of ludicrous,” said Austin Arthur, with One Winter Garden.

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Other concerns include pollution and traffic. Because of that, OCPS scheduled a community meeting on Wednesday night.

“We hope to show how we would intend to be a good neighbor and a job driver in the community, and really be the best neighbor we could be,” Roth said.

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In addition to a job driver, adding another facility in west Orange County would save taxpayers a lot of money.

“It would save Orange County Public Schools a million dollars between the cost of fuel staff time and, wear and tear on buses as well,” Roth said.

That’s because buses currently servicing the Winter Garden area have to come from the bus depot in Pine Hills, about 20 minutes away.

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