- October 10, 2026
The City of Ormond Beach is moving forward with the purchase of the former Osceola Elementary, at a price of $2.5 million.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Volusia County School Board unanimously gave approval for the district to negotiate terms for the sale of the 11.6-acre school site, located at 100 Osceola Ave. Volusia County Schools surplussed the property in late June, and submitted a letter of first right of refusal to the city.
In early August, the Ormond Beach City Commission directed staff to pursue purchasing the school site, suspecting the property would likely be sold for residential development if the city didn't acquire it. According to information shared by city staff, some preliminary concepts showed the construction of about 30-40 houses.
In a letter to the School Board, City Manager Joyce Shanahan said that the city's most recent parks and recreation master plan "identified a need for additional recreation facilities on the city's beachside."
"Adding the Osceola property to the city's inventory of parks will allow the city to continue the legacy of public use first established by Volusia County Schools more than 70 years ago," Shanahan wrote. "As a school, as a park, and as a community asset, this property has served our beachside neighborhoods for multiple generations. We intend to continue serving children and families for generations to come."
The city has had an interlocal agreement with the school board since 1974 for park facilities at the Osceola site, which include baseball and basketball fields, a tennis court, a playground, restrooms and three parking lots.
In the letter, Shanahan made the district a $2.5 million offer, per direction of the City Commission. At the time of the commission's discussion in August, the district had received two offers: one for $2.35 million and another for $2.5 million.
Assistant City Manager Shawn Finley told the City Commission on Wednesday, Sept. 9, that the district later received a $3.35 million offer. However, he said the district was "excited" to see the Osceola school site continue to be a community asset.
Finley added that the buildings will likely be demolished and that the city will speak to the district about a plan.
"Chances are, there's really very little value in the buildings," he said. " ... We've talked to one of our consultants about doing in due diligence some conceptual plans that would certainly lead to a need for some community meetings. We want to get a feel for what's wanted by the residents of the entire south peninsula."
Osceola Elementary closed in 2021 when VCS merged it with Ortona Elementary to create Beachside Elementary. The new school was built on the former Ortona campus and opened its doors in January 2023. The Osceola campus continued to house students until this year, when Riverview Learning Center was relocated to a vacant middle school building at Holly Hill School.
