ST. CLOUD, Fla. – With a population boom happening in St. Cloud, the Osceola County School District is looking forward to a new high school that will serve thousands of students.
Construction for the unnamed “AAA high school” on Nova Road has been underway for months, but officials will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on Friday.
Dave Sharma, who is the district’s chief facilities officer, said the new campus will tackle overcrowding in other high schools while also meeting the needs of several newly constructed neighborhoods in the area.
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“With the growth in the area, our existing schools are at capacity. So, we typically project a few years out,” Sharma said. “This would essentially accommodate all of the new growth and new students and provide some relief to our new students.”
According to the district, the new school will open for the 2026 school year and will include 11 permanent buildings to accommodate 2,522 students.
In recent years, district leaders have been working to address Osceola County’s rapid growth.
From 2010-2022, the county’s population grew by 46% from 269,841 to 422,545.
“From what we have seen, we’ve grown significantly more than any other area, so we’ve been focused on opening schools,” Sharma said. “We’ve been responding to that growth and that’s essentially where you’re seeing our construction happening in those areas.”
The new school project has a $184 million construction budget that’s being funded through county impact fees.
Osceola County opened two new K-8 schools in 2024, but this will be the first high school the district has built since Tohopekaliga High School opened in 2018.
Gian Lombardi, who lives in the neighborhood across from where construction is happening, said he’s looking forward to having a high school nearby.
“St. Cloud is developing a lot. It’s evolving and there’s a lot of people coming in,” Lombardi said. “I think it’s a good idea to have it in this location.”
Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at 5800 Nova Road.
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