On Tuesday, the School District of Osceola County held a ground-breaking ceremony for a brand-new school bus transportation facility on the eastern side of the county. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as the primary hub for over 200 school buses, significantly enhancing transportation services for hundreds of Osceola County students who rely on these buses to commute to their schools each day.
Osceola education officials are calling the upcoming transportation hub facility ‘Transportation East,’ which will be located on Nova Road, about a mile north of US 192 near Westerfly Estates Avenue in St. Cloud.
“This project will enhance our transportation services by reducing travel times and improving efficiency for our routes on the east side of town,” District 5 School board member Erika Booth said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
One completed, ‘Transportation East’ will facilitate the transportation of students to the neighboring schools, like Narcoossee Elementary and Middle Schools, Michigan Avenue Elementary, Hickory Tree Elementary, as well as Harmony Elementary, Middle, and High School and others. These schools are conveniently located just a short distance from the bus hub.
According to Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff, that’s not all that will be built in that location, just across from the transportation hub the district will be building a new high school, This new school is designed to alleviate some of the pressure on Harmony High School, which has experienced substantial growth in recent years.
“It’s about making sure all the auxiliary services that are available to our students like transportation that are so vital to ensure that our kids are in active learning opportunities from the first moment all the way to the last moment,” Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff said.
Transportation East will include of a 41,000 sq. Ft. Administrative/Fleet Maintenance Building with offices and a staff training space, a Refueling/Bus Wash Depot, and a Bus Driver Restroom Pavilion. The facility will also include 12 school bus maintenance bays with associated parts, battery, tire, and bulk fluid storage.
On the other side of the county, another transportation hub, called “Transportation West” is being built near Avenue A and Poinciana Boulevard.
Transportation East’ is set to open in October 2024.
