Canoe Creek Charter Academy, a charter school south of St. Cloud, will transition back to the Osceola County School District next school year, the district announced Thursday.

The School Board voted to return the school back to the district,  who originally leased the facility to the Education Foundation and owns the land on which the school is located.

Charter Schools USA, which operates the school now, the School Board and the Education Foundation collectively came to this decision, the School District said. The school will provide classroom space needed as many existing schools are reaching capacity, and this move also anticipates future growth.

Canoe Creek Charter will not be a charter school for the 2020-21 school year, instead serving K-6 students, with plans to extend to a full K-8 school in 2021-22 with all standard amenities like a gym, track, media center and fine arts programs. Students and teachers will have opportunities to remain with a Charter Schools USA-managed school or return to a district-managed school. The Osceola School District will hold several informational meetings over the next few weeks with faculty and families to explore options and determine next steps. To get information on those, call the Osceola School District’s Charter and Educational Choices Department at 407-870-4847.

“We are very pleased that the Osceola County School Board made the decision to return Canoe Creek to the district. We have worked cooperatively with the Education Foundation of Osceola County and Charter Schools USA to find the best solution for all involved, and I am proud of the outcome to which we could all agree.”

Dr. Debra Pace

Superintendent, School District of Osceola County

Fred Hawkins, President of the Education Foundation of Osceola County, noted Charter Schools USA’s track record in Osceola County.

“They manage our PM Wells School, which is currently an “A” school, and have worked with us to make Canoe Creek a school of which we can all be proud,” he said. “By working collaboratively with all parties, we are able to continue to provide a choice for parents and teachers while maintaining an amicable and mutually beneficial relationship that ultimately benefits the students and community.”