ORLANDO — A new school year begins Monday, and many parents at one Orange County magnet school are unsure what the first day will look like.

What You Need To Know

  • Orlando Utilities Commission working on replacing half a mile of old pipe

  • Howard Middle School principal has been pushing out voice recordings about school status

  • The school year is supposed to start Monday

  • More Spectrum News 13 Back to School headlines

Howard Middle School has construction taking place on the street outside, and work is also being done on its campus.

Aside from trying to figure out how to play "Frogger" with cars at drop-off Monday, the school is still waiting for its certificate of occupancy.

Parents who were picking up computers from the school Friday said they are only getting partial answers from the district on what will happen come Monday.

Stacey Beaulieu’s daughter, Tiffany, who is ready to start the eighth grade, isn’t even sure the bell will ring for the first day of school.

“Not a lot of information,” Beaulieu said. They are hopeful that there will be school Monday, but that the district has contingency plans otherwise.

Outside the school, work being is being done around the clock.

Orlando Utilities Commission is working to upgrade a water main on East Robinson Street near the school. The project includes replacing a half-mile of aging cast iron pipe. Tiffany remembers when the project began in April of last school year.

She described hearing jackhammers when sitting in her classroom.

According to OUC, it coordinated with the school district to come up with a traffic plan. It includes lane closures, incoming traffic flow patterns and outgoing school traffic.

Tiffany and her mother, like the school district, are coming up with contingency plans.

“I mean, I usually drop her off on the track, so this will be new,” Stacey said. "Worst case scenario, I guess I park over at Lake Eola and walk over with her.” 

Parents who came in and out of the campus Friday said voice messages have been sent to their phones with updates, but that the messages have been vague.

As of now, the plan remains for school to be open Monday.

OUC says it plans to be done with work on the pipe and the road project by Monday.

Parents say teachers have reached out to them, telling them to have their computers ready in case they go virtual to start the year.