ORLANDO, Fla. — During a Tuesday work session, the Orange County School Board recommended adding 15 new schools to deal with the growing number of students, a move they said could cost billions of dollars.

According to information from Orange County Public Schools, the 10-year student enrollment is expected to be greater than the current school capacity. During Tuesday's meeting, members discussed the current growth of the county and the anticipated increase of new residents.

Orange County Public Schools officials recommended building 15 new schools through 2034 to account for the county's expected growth. According to information from the district's Facilities Department, that kind of expansion would require $8.9 billion over the next 10 years.

"We have a lot of growth happening over on the west side of town, Horizon West (...) Lake Nona and in the Apopka area," said board member Angie Gallo, who represents District 1.

In Lake Nona, several schools are planned to open next fall to relieve the area's high school and middle school. Two new elementary schools will also open in 2025.

During Chief Financial Officer Doreen Concolino's presentation, she reiterated that the half-cent sales tax continues to be imperative for the district’s financial stability, especially with inflation and the increase in construction costs.

Board member Maria Salamanca, who represents District 2, said she expected the projected amount for expansion would likely increase over the coming years.

“Just like our schools are getting more expensive and supplies are getting more expensive, there’s just no way land isn’t going to get more expensive," she said. "I think this is going to be a bigger pull on our budget for the next 10, 15, 20 years, no matter what."

But even with that half-cent sales tax, Chief Facilities Officer Rory Salimbene said there’s still an expected $2.7 billion facilities shortfall between fiscal years 2024 and 2033.

The next step is a budget workshop slated for May 21. Members of the board said they are hoping to come up with a final budget adoption by early September.