Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the TD Waterhouse Centre in Downtown Orlando, Florida. As of 2002, it has an enrollment of 157,433 students, making it the 15th largest school district in the United States (16th largest when Puerto Rico is included). Mirroring Greater Orlando's high growth rate, it is also one of the fastest-growing school districts in America. The term public school has different (and in some cases contradictory) meanings due to regional differences. ... School districts are a form of special-purpose district in the United States (amongst some other places) which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools. ... Orange County is a county located in the state of Florida. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,794 sq. ... The TD Waterhouse Centre (formerly Orlando Arena and unofficially known as the O-Rena) is a indoor arena in Orlando, Florida. ... Nickname: The city Beautiful Official website: http://www. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This is a list of the largest school districts in the United States by enrollment, as of 2001-2002. ... The Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Orlando Area, Metro Orlando or (more colloquially) Greater Orlando, is the state of Floridas third most densely populated metropolitan region. ...

The School Board

The superintendent of OCPS is Ronald Blocker. The position of superintendent is appointed by the Governor. The district is overseen by the Orange County School Board, a body of seven elected officers, each board member sitting for a particular geographic district. The current School Board members, in order of district number, are Joie Cadle, Tim Shea, Rick Roach, Karen Ardaman, Kathleen "Kat" Gordon, Anne Geiger and Jim Martin.

Boardmembers are elected every four years with no term limits, with Districts 1 through 3 elected during midterm election cycles (next in 2006) and Districts 4 through 7 elected during presidential cycles (next in 2008). School Board elections in Orange County are non-partisan. 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Schools

OCPS has used a model Kindergarten through Grade 5 for elementary schools, Grades 6-8 for middle school and Grades 9-12 for high school since 1988. Before then, Grade 6 was part of elementary school and Grade 9 was part of middle school (called Junior High in OCPS prior to 1988). As now required by Florida law, virtually all elementary schools have Pre-K programs. A kindergarten in Afghanistan. ... Primary or elementary education consists of the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Middle school, (Intermediate/Junior high school) covers a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education, serving as a bridge between the two. ... High school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pre-Kindergarten (also called Pre-K) refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. ...

OCPS has 156 regular-attendance schools as of the 2005-06 school year: 110 elementary, 29 middle and 17 high. Four elementary schools and three middle schools will be opened for the 2006-07 school year. The district also as three K-8 schools, an adult education system with four dedicated campuses and night classes at most high schools, four dedicated ESE schools as well as a hospital/homebound program, and dozens of alternative education centers, including charter schools. Four of the high schools in OCPS have off-site ninth-grade centers, built after the shift from K-6/7-9/10-12 to K-5/6-8/9-12. Libraries are a useful resource for adult learners. ... Special education, also known as special ed, describes an educational alternative that focuses on the teaching of students with academic, behaviorial, health, or physical needs that cannot sufficiently be met using traditional educational programs or techniques. ... In the United States, a charter school is a public school that is created via a legal charter. ...

The district is in an aggressive expansion and school improvement project being fueled by a 0.5% sales tax increase passed by the voters of Orange County in 1998. A sales tax is a tax on consumption. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

External links

• Orange County Public Schools Official Website
• Orange County School Board