Orange County Public Schools
Encyclopedia
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 Amway Arena in Downtown
Orlando
. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the 12th largest school district in the United States
. The school district also employs over 19,000 instructional and classified employees, which make up more than 96% of the OCPS work force.
of Orange County Public Schools is Ronald Blocker. The position of superintendent is appointed by the school board. 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. School Board districts are not analogous in any way with County Commission districts. As of 2010, the current School Board members, in order of district number, are Joie Cadle, Daryl Flynn, Rick Roach, Vicky Bell, Kathleen "Kat" Gordon, Nancy Robbinson and Christine Moore.
Board members are elected every four years with no term limit
s, with Districts 1 through 3 elected during midterm election cycles (next in 2010) and Districts 4 through 7 elected during presidential cycles (next in 2012). School Board elections in Orange County are non-partisan.
A county wide public vote in 2009 created the elected position of School Board Chairman. Candidates running for this position include Bill Sublette
, William Booker, Leona Rachman, Homer Hartage
and John Mark Coney. The primary election for this non-partisan position is scheduled to held on August 24, 2012.
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-Kindergarten
programs.
OCPS has 178 regular-attendance schools as of the 2009–10 school year: 125 elementary, 34 middle and 19 high. Three of the middle schools are really K–8 schools, but are classified by OCPS as middle schools. In addition, one high school (Lake Nona High) currently houses middle school students as well. The district also has an adult education
system with six dedicated campuses and night classes at most high schools, four dedicated special education
schools as well as a hospital/homebound program, and dozens of alternative education centers, including charter school
s. Six of the high schools in OCPS have separate ninth-grade centers, three of them off-site of the main campus, built after the shift from K–6/7–9/10–12 to K–5/6–8/9–12. One more elementary schools is scheduled to open for the 2010–11 school year.
The schools of OCPS are divided into six areas called Learning Communities: North, East, West, Southeast, Southwest and Central. Central was known as the "Urban Cohort" until 2005. Southeast and Southwest were split from a larger South Learning Community in 2006.
The district is in an aggressive expansion and school improvement project being fueled by a 0.5% sales tax
option passed by the voters of Orange County in 2002. Skyrocketing land and materials costs, however, has outpaced faster-than-expected sales tax revenue increases and slowed progress. Many projects have been pushed back, and some have been cancelled altogether. The district is currently working on extending the half-penny option tax in 2012, when it is set to expire.
Most paperwork distributed to students and parents by OCPS is available in both English
and Spanish
. Many such documents are also available in Portuguese
, Vietnamese
and Haitian Creole
, due to the significant populations in Orange County that speak each language.
-era Black-only high school until integration was enforced. In 1952, Orlando High was split into what became Edgewater High School
and William R. Boone High School
. Originally to be named "Orlando North" and "Orlando South", respectively, Orlando South took its modern name after its principal, William R. Boone, died before it opened. Orlando North took the name of the road it was built on, Edgewater Drive. The former Orlando High became Howard Middle School
. Jones High moved to its present location in 1952, which was reconstructed in 2004.
Ten of the district's high schools have been opened in the last 25 years, not including reconstructed campuses for existing schools.
In parentheses is the nickname of the school's athletics teams.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
for Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...
Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the 12th largest school district in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school district also employs over 19,000 instructional and classified employees, which make up more than 96% of the OCPS work force.
School board
The superintendentSuperintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of Orange County Public Schools is Ronald Blocker. The position of superintendent is appointed by the school board. The district is overseen by the Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
School Board, a body of seven elected officers, each board member sitting for a particular geographic district. School Board districts are not analogous in any way with County Commission districts. As of 2010, the current School Board members, in order of district number, are Joie Cadle, Daryl Flynn, Rick Roach, Vicky Bell, Kathleen "Kat" Gordon, Nancy Robbinson and Christine Moore.
Board members are elected every four years with no term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s, with Districts 1 through 3 elected during midterm election cycles (next in 2010) and Districts 4 through 7 elected during presidential cycles (next in 2012). School Board elections in Orange County are non-partisan.
A county wide public vote in 2009 created the elected position of School Board Chairman. Candidates running for this position include Bill Sublette
Bill Sublette
Bill Sublette is a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001.Bill Sublette was born April 12, 1963 in Walnut Creek, California....
, William Booker, Leona Rachman, Homer Hartage
Homer Hartage
Homer Hartage is a 1976 graduate of Seton Hall University, South Orange New Jersey with a degree in psychology with minor studies in natural science. Hartage is the CEO of Nuchia Foods Corporation. He was elected to a four year term on the Orange County Board of County Commissioners in 1998 and...
and John Mark Coney. The primary election for this non-partisan position is scheduled to held on August 24, 2012.
Schools
OCPS has used an attendance model of KindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through Grade 5 for elementary schools
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, Grades 6–8 for middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and Grades 9–12 for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
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-Kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
programs.
OCPS has 178 regular-attendance schools as of the 2009–10 school year: 125 elementary, 34 middle and 19 high. Three of the middle schools are really K–8 schools, but are classified by OCPS as middle schools. In addition, one high school (Lake Nona High) currently houses middle school students as well. The district also has an adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
system with six dedicated campuses and night classes at most high schools, four dedicated special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
schools as well as a hospital/homebound program, and dozens of alternative education centers, including charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
s. Six of the high schools in OCPS have separate ninth-grade centers, three of them off-site of the main campus, built after the shift from K–6/7–9/10–12 to K–5/6–8/9–12. One more elementary schools is scheduled to open for the 2010–11 school year.
The schools of OCPS are divided into six areas called Learning Communities: North, East, West, Southeast, Southwest and Central. Central was known as the "Urban Cohort" until 2005. Southeast and Southwest were split from a larger South Learning Community in 2006.
The district is in an aggressive expansion and school improvement project being fueled by a 0.5% sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
option passed by the voters of Orange County in 2002. Skyrocketing land and materials costs, however, has outpaced faster-than-expected sales tax revenue increases and slowed progress. Many projects have been pushed back, and some have been cancelled altogether. The district is currently working on extending the half-penny option tax in 2012, when it is set to expire.
Most paperwork distributed to students and parents by OCPS is available in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. Many such documents are also available in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
and Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole language
Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Kreyòl, is a language spoken in Haiti by about twelve million people, which includes all Haitians in Haiti and via emigration, by about two to three million speakers residing in the Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, France, Cayman Islands, French...
, due to the significant populations in Orange County that speak each language.
High schools
Prior to 1952, there were only two high schools in OCPS: Orlando High School and Jones High School, which was a SegregationRacial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
-era Black-only high school until integration was enforced. In 1952, Orlando High was split into what became Edgewater High School
Edgewater High School
Edgewater High School is a public secondary school located in the College Park section of Orlando, Florida. It is operated by the Orange County Public Schools system. The athletic teams are known as the 'Fighting Eagles' with colors red and white....
and William R. Boone High School
William R. Boone High School
William R. Boone High School is a public high school in Orlando, Florida, United States. Built in 1952, the school is one of twenty high schools in the Orange County Public Schools system, created to accommodate the growing number of students at Orlando High School...
. Originally to be named "Orlando North" and "Orlando South", respectively, Orlando South took its modern name after its principal, William R. Boone, died before it opened. Orlando North took the name of the road it was built on, Edgewater Drive. The former Orlando High became Howard Middle School
Howard Middle School (Orlando, Florida)
Howard Middle School is a middle school located in Orlando, Florida, United States near the city's downtown.The school, which is a part of the Orange County Public Schools, serves grades 6 through 8....
. Jones High moved to its present location in 1952, which was reconstructed in 2004.
Ten of the district's high schools have been opened in the last 25 years, not including reconstructed campuses for existing schools.
In parentheses is the nickname of the school's athletics teams.
- Apopka High SchoolApopka High SchoolApopka High School is a high school located in Apopka in northwest Orange County, Florida, United States. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.The school serves grades 9 through 12...
(Blue DartersDarterThe darters or snakebirds are mainly tropical waterbirds in the family Anhingidae. There are four living species, three of which are very common and widespread while the fourth is rarer and classified as near-threatened by the IUCN. The term "snakebird" is usually used without any additions to...
) - William R. Boone High SchoolWilliam R. Boone High SchoolWilliam R. Boone High School is a public high school in Orlando, Florida, United States. Built in 1952, the school is one of twenty high schools in the Orange County Public Schools system, created to accommodate the growing number of students at Orlando High School...
(BravesNative American name controversyThe Native American name controversy is a dispute about the acceptable terminology for the indigenous peoples of the Americas and broad subsets of these peoples, such as those sharing certain cultures and languages by which more discrete groups identify themselves .Many English exonyms have been...
) - Colonial High SchoolColonial High SchoolColonial High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida. As of August 2008 the school serves over 3,500 students in grades 9 through 12, making it one of the largest schools in Florida. Colonial has one of the biggest production studios in Orange County, Florida, headed by Nathan Whaley....
(Grenadiers) - Cypress Creek High SchoolCypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida)Cypress Creek High School is located in south Orlando, Florida and serves students in grades 9 through 12.Cypress Creek is an IB World School with an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program...
(BearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s) - Dr. Phillips High SchoolDr. Phillips High SchoolDr. Phillips High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida, United States.The area of Dr. Phillips, Florida is named after Dr. Philip Phillips, a physician who later became a Central Florida citrus magnate. He was responsible for several key innovations in the processing and packaging of...
(PanthersFlorida PantherThe Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar that lives in forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. Its current taxonomic status is unresolved, but recent genetic research alone does not alter the legal conservation status...
) - Edgewater High SchoolEdgewater High SchoolEdgewater High School is a public secondary school located in the College Park section of Orlando, Florida. It is operated by the Orange County Public Schools system. The athletic teams are known as the 'Fighting Eagles' with colors red and white....
(EaglesBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
) - East River High School (FalconFalconA falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s) - Maynard Evans High SchoolMaynard Evans High SchoolMaynard Evans High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida, United States served by Orange County Public Schools. The school's name is often shortened to "Evans High School" and the mascot for the school are the Trojans....
(TrojansTroyTroy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
) - Freedom High SchoolFreedom High School (Orlando, Florida)Freedom High School is located in Orlando, Florida currently under the authority of principal Dr. Harold Border. It's one of seventeen public high schools in Orange County. The school was established in 2003 in order to relieve crowding at nearby Cypress Creek High School; like other relief high...
(PatriotPatriot (American Revolution)Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
) - Jones High School (TigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s) - Lake Nona High SchoolLake Nona High SchoolLake Nona High School is a public high school in Orlando, Florida. It was a relief school for Odyssey Middle School, Cypress Creek High School, and Oak Ridge High.-History:...
(LionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s) - Oak Ridge High SchoolOak Ridge High School (Orlando, Florida)Oak Ridge High School is a public secondary school in Orlando, Florida, established in 1956. The school has been rated as a D or F institution by the state every year since 2000.-Campus:The Campus has been expanded/remodeled since the founding of the school...
(PioneerAmerican pioneerAmerican pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
s) - Ocoee High SchoolOcoee High SchoolOcoee High School is a public secondary school located in Ocoee, Florida, 12.5 miles west of Orlando. Since 2005 Ocoee High School has served students from the cities of Ocoee, Apopka, Winter Garden, and Pine Hills. Ocoee High School is currently serving 2,479 students.-Mascot:The Ocoee High...
(KnightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s) - Olympia High School (TitansTitan (mythology)In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
) - Timber Creek High SchoolTimber Creek High SchoolTimber Creek High School is a public high school located in Orlando, Florida. The Timber Creek mascot is a wolf and the principal is Mr. John Wright.-History:Timber Creek High school was built in 2000 as a relief school for nearby University High School....
(WolvesGray WolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
) - University High School (Cougars)
- Wekiva High SchoolWekiva High SchoolWekiva High School is a high school located in Apopka, in northwest Orange County, Florida, United States. The school mascot is the mustang.The school colors are maroon, gold, and navy. It was established in 2007 as a relief school for Apopka High School and Ocoee High School. It's principal is Dr...
(MustangsMustang (horse)A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
) - West Orange High School (WarriorWarriorA warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s) - Winter Park High SchoolWinter Park High SchoolWinter Park High School located in Winter Park, Florida is one of seventeen public high schools in Orange County. Winter Park High School is a magnet school for the International Baccalaureate program.-History:...
(WildcatWildcatWildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
s)
Notable alumni
- Actor Wesley SnipesWesley SnipesWesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
; noted theoretical physicist Sylvester James GatesSylvester James GatesSylvester James Gates, Jr. is a noted American theoretical physicist. He received BS and PhD degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the latter in 1977. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry. Gates is currently the John S...
, NFL players Kevin Lewis, Nate NewtonNate NewtonNathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985...
, and Tim NewtonTim NewtonTimothy Reginald "Tim" Newton is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
. - Actor/comedian Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
, singer Joey FatoneJoey FatoneJoseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
, singer/actor Luis FonsiLuis FonsiLuis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, more commonly known by his stage name Luis Fonsi, is a Latin Grammy winning Puerto Rican singer and composer.- Early life :...
and baseball players A.J. Pierzynski and Johnny DamonJohnny DamonJohnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
graduated from Dr. Phillips High SchoolDr. Phillips High SchoolDr. Phillips High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida, United States.The area of Dr. Phillips, Florida is named after Dr. Philip Phillips, a physician who later became a Central Florida citrus magnate. He was responsible for several key innovations in the processing and packaging of...
, in the Dr. PhillipsDoctor Phillips, FloridaDr. Phillips is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida; commonly known as a suburb of Orlando, Florida. It is also part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,548 at the 2000 census.The area of Dr. Phillips is...
neighborhood. - Baseball player Zack GreinkeZack GreinkeDonald Zackary "Zack" Greinke is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals.-High school & minor leagues:Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida...
and football players Warren SappWarren SappWarren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
and Brandon MeriweatherBrandon MeriweatherBrandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
graduated from Apopka High SchoolApopka High SchoolApopka High School is a high school located in Apopka in northwest Orange County, Florida, United States. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.The school serves grades 9 through 12...
. - Basketball players Marquis DanielsMarquis DanielsMarquis Antwane Daniels is a , guard-forward who most recently was a member of the Sacramento Kings. Daniels was an undrafted guard in the 2003 NBA Draft, yet has become a regular rotation player averaging at least 17.8 minutes per game in each one of his first six seasons...
and Darius Washington Jr.Darius Washington Jr.Darius Myron Washington Jr. is an American and naturalized Macedonian professional basketball player currently playing in Turkey with Türk Telekom....
graduated from Edgewater High SchoolEdgewater High SchoolEdgewater High School is a public secondary school located in the College Park section of Orlando, Florida. It is operated by the Orange County Public Schools system. The athletic teams are known as the 'Fighting Eagles' with colors red and white....
. - Basketball player Amar'e Stoudemire graduated from Cypress Creek High School.
- Recording artist Brian McKnightBrian McKnightBrian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
, football player Brandon Siler, and basketball player Darryl DawkinsDarryl DawkinsDarryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
graduated from Evans High. - Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient Larry Smedley, actor Buddy EbsenBuddy EbsenBuddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
and astronaut John Young attended Orlando High School, now Howard Middle School.