- May 21, 2025
Preparing for future growth, the Volusia County School Board has approved an interlocal agreement with the Flagler County school district that will allow some students to enroll in schools located in either district.
As southeast Flagler County and north Volusia County experience residential growth, the school districts seek to make enrollment more efficient by allowing students in identified growth areas to attend schools close to their homes — even if that means crossing the county line to do so. On Tuesday, May 13, the Volusia School Board formalized the process with the agreement via its consent agenda, though it has been in place in prior years.
Who will be impacted? Mainly students in the new Ormond Station neighborhood within the Flagler County portion of Hunter’s Ridge. Volusia County Schools has identified 14 students in the Flagler growth area that will attend Volusia schools next year. They will attend the same schools as those residing in the Ormond Beach side of Hunter’s Ridge: Pathways Elementary School, Hinson Middle School, and Mainland High School.
As for Volusia students, the interlocal agreement highlighted an attendance zone north of South Old Dixie Highway and east of I-95, which includes some of the northern Halifax Plantation neighborhoods. Students living in this area could choose to attend Old Kings Elementary School, Buddy Taylor Middle School, and Flagler-Palm Coast High School.
The district reported there are 11 students in this area that could choose to attend Flagler Schools next year.
School Board member Donna Brosemer commended district staff for its negotiations with Flagler.
“I want to commend you for doing something that is logical and efficient and makes sense,” Brosemer said.
Her only question was on funding. How will the agreement impact VCS if there are more students going to Flagler schools versus Volusia schools?
Currently, there are 68 Flagler County students attending Volusia County Schools: 41 in elementary, seven in middle school and 20 in high school.
“We offer this to them because our schools are actually physically closer to those parents for their children, versus traveling up to Bunnell Elementary — it’s quite a distance,” VCS Chief Operating Officer Patty Corr said. “We don’t offer transportation, so it costs us nothing. They have to get their kids to the school on their own, much like a variance, and we see the full-time equivalency funding for the students.”
When the Ormond Station neighborhood is built out, the district is expecting about 460 children that could attend Volusia schools — 201 in elementary, 117 in middle school and 142 in high school, said Ron Young, director of Facilities and Planning.
School Board member Ruben Colon said he knew there was some speculation in the community about this being “an attempt to grab and take.” But the district has been doing this out of courtesy for many years, he said.
That may change down the road if Flagler Schools decides it’s worth adding transportation for these students to attend their schools.
“It’s just a matter of time before they have enough growth where they can sustain it and make sense for them to educate their students,” Colon said. “In the meantime, we’re doing what is right for kids.”
Young agreed, and explained that the agreement will be renewed and brought back to the board annually, for up to nine years.
