Orlando School Design Concept Has Been Unveiled
The new Cherokee School of Arts and Entertainment will transform the former junior high into a specialized facility.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Orange County Public Schools has revealed the 30% design concept for the future Cherokee School of Arts and Entertainment on South Eola Drive. This specialized campus aims to provide alternative educational pathways for students seeking environments outside of traditional models.
Why it matters
The project represents a significant investment in specialized secondary education, offering students grades 9 through 12 a dedicated space for arts and media training. By separating the student population into a block schedule, the district hopes to balance capacity needs with the surrounding downtown landscape.
The school will house up to 500 students, though a block schedule will limit the daily campus population to 250. The $92 million project is situated on South Eola Drive.
The players
Orange County Public Schools
This is the primary public school district governing education in Orlando and the surrounding Florida county.
Cherokee School of Arts and Entertainment
This is a future secondary education institution serving grades 9 through 12 that will occupy the former Cherokee Junior High School site.
The details
Presented at a public meeting at Boone High School, the facility will convert the former Cherokee Junior High School into an arts-focused hub. While the design is currently 30% complete, local residents have already raised concerns regarding the impact of increased traffic and parking availability in the downtown Orlando neighborhood.
Timeline
September 28, 2026: Design concept presented at public meeting.
End of 2026: Construction is scheduled to begin.
August 2028: The school is scheduled to open.
Culture Shift
The transition of older facilities into specialized arts academies reflects a broader urban planning trend of repurposing educational infrastructure to meet modern academic demands. This strategy allows districts to create targeted learning environments while maintaining presence in historic neighborhoods.
Residents living near South Eola Drive should expect future changes to local traffic patterns and parking availability as the project moves toward a 2026 construction start. Families looking for alternatives to traditional school environments will have access to a new academic path for high school students by 2028.
The takeaway
The development of this school demonstrates the district's move toward smaller, specialized student cohorts rather than large, traditional high school environments. Orlando families interested in non-traditional education models should monitor further project design phases for enrollment information.
Further reading
Explore more about how local districts are adapting to current academic needs in the Secondary Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WESH.
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