APOPKA, Fla. — On Monday, Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez met with residents in Apopka as part of a listening tour she is conducting around the county. 

“We continue to get great feedback, parents and community members are coming out, our employees are coming out, we are thankful they want to be engaged,” Vazquez said.

  What You Need To Know

  • Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez has been making stops around the county as part of a listening tour

  • As the district sees continuous change, she said she wants to be transparent and make sure the district is getting everything right the first time

  • At a community meeting Monday in Apopka, Vazquez discussed funding, attendance alerts and transportation

Last year, Vazquez made 44 stops as part of her listening tour in 100 days.  

She said she held a meeting Monday in Apopka because of the area’s continuous growth. 

“We are going to have to add schools," she said. "That might be elementary, middle, or maybe even high school over the course of the next 10 years. We’re delighted to see the growth out here."

Vazquez said the Orange County School Board is going to have a work session in about a month where officials will present a 10-year plan for the district. 

She told those in attendance that parents and residents should soon be able to see plans for new facilities. 

With transportation, Vazquez said that as the area grows, she wants to implement school bus routes that are as effective and timely as possible. 

“We’re looking for strategies that will help us be more efficient in our routes, and also be able to recruit and retain more drivers,” she said.

In terms of attendance alerts, families will now get a call before noon and then another call in the evening if their child was absent for more than half of the school day. 

It is a move Vazquez said was necessary following the death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, whose mother did not know her daughter hadn't been in school on the day she went missing in late February until she went to pick her up.

“It came about due to the terrible tragedy of one of our students in Hunter’s Creek," Vazquez said. "Parents have been asking, 'We want to know earlier on if our children are not at school.' We were able to adjust our system so the call-outs are going out earlier."

She said the change was one of the necessary steps needed for the district to keep moving forward.

“We want to finish strong," she said. "We encourage our parents to continue to be engaged."