On Friday, a ground breaking took place in the Kindred community in Kissimmee, where a new K-8 school will open in the Fall of 2025 and serve almost 1500 students.
The Osceola School District is pioneering a fresh approach to K-8 education with the introduction of their Kindred K-8-AA school, emblematic of a broader strategy also reflected in the upcoming Sunbridge and Knightsbridge K-8 schools in Poinciana, set to open this fall. This innovative facility will feature a comprehensive three-story classroom wing, an administration suite, a media center, a fine arts wing, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria. Constructed on a sprawling 20-acre site, the Kindred K-8-AA is designed to foster a holistic educational environment, complete with a 400-meter running track, a soccer infield, and three full-size outdoor basketball courts, ensuring a blend of academic excellence and physical development.
The Kindred K-8 AA campus, which is located off of Cross Prairie Parkway, will be equipped with distinct parent and bus circulation paths, each shaded under aluminum-covered canopies for added comfort. Additionally, the facility will boast around 200 parking spaces. It’s designed to efficiently manage a double-stacked queue of approximately 297 cars within the parent loop, enhancing on-site traffic flow and safety.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff shared during the groundbreaking, “we have so much growth occurring within Osceola County, and it’s important for us as a school district to keep up with that growth, and to make sure as families move in we have the best possible classrooms for our students to experience learning. A lot of parents want their kids to go to the same school for as long as they can, and it also allows us to build community, and that’s really what we want in a brand new residential community that’s going up. That’s the benefit of the K-8 model.”
According to the superintendent, parents are telling the district that they like the idea of their kiddos being able to attend the same school for 9 years, and then moving on to their high school years.
For those parents concerned with kids of different ages commingling, K-2 will be on the first floor, grades 3-5 will be on the 2nd floor and middle schoolers will be on the top floors, according to the district.
Along with Dr, Mark Shanoff, representatives from Schenkel Shultz and Williams Company, who designed and will build Kindred K-8 AA spoke during the ground breaking. School District board member Julius Melendez and Chief Facilities Officer David Sharma also contributed their insights, emphasizing the school’s efficiency and the district’s intention to adopt this model for future projects where applicable.
This groundbreaking event marks a forward-thinking step towards enhancing educational infrastructure and opportunities within the Osceola County School District.
