Howard Middle School's Academy of Arts celebrated the completion of its renovation with a ribbon-cutting, speeches, food trucks, an art show and a Prism performance on October 19. The same event kicked off the centennial of the Robinson Street building that houses the school. Teachers, staff, students, alumni and neighbors gathered for the occasion, and students decorated the sidewalks with chalk art.
The day was reported by The Community Paper, which said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan each read a proclamation. The two offered congratulations and praise to the school district, teachers and students. The student art show and Prism performance took place in the school's renovated media center and theater.
A Building That Started as Orlando High School
The campus has deep roots. According to an Orlando Sentinel commentary, the cornerstone was laid in the fall of 1926, construction concluded the following May, and a formal dedication followed on June 1, 1927. When it opened, the Robinson Street campus housed the new Orlando High School.
The school's name comes from Clarence Everett Howard, who chaired the Orange County school board of trustees and advocated for including music and art in public education. The commentary notes that the campus was renamed in his honor in 1952, when Orlando High School was converted into a junior high. Howard Middle School later developed into a performing arts magnet program, and the same commentary lists music, theater, dance and visual arts among its offerings.
Because the Academy of Arts is a magnet school, students apply to attend from all over Orange County, according to the paper's earlier coverage of construction progress.
What the Renovation Delivered
Work on the project began in June 2023, per The Community Paper's account of the centennial event. Among the results are large dance studios with wood floors and sound-proof rehearsal rooms for band, chorus, orchestra, guitar and keyboard students. The historic theater received new lighting, sound, rigging, seating and dressing rooms.
OCPS School Board member Stephanie Vanos said the school courtyard was rebuilt with seating, lighting, landscaping and new basketball courts. Earlier plans, as described by Your Community Paper, also called for a new administration lobby, remodeled arts and music spaces, and ADA-compliant improvements to the athletic track, gymnasium entrance and Robinson Street crossing.
A 2023 Spectrum News 13 report said the interior would be renovated while keeping the exterior facade to preserve the school's history. Reports differ on the project's price tag, citing both $27 million and $36.6 million, and on the number of construction phases.
Speakers Look Toward the Next 100 Years
State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith spoke about the 100-year milestone, saying Howard represents a century of educating students, inspiring young minds and shaping Orlando's future. He also said public schools are central to neighborhoods and communities, and that the responsibility is to ensure they can serve the next 100 years. State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, a neighbor who graduated from Orange County Public Schools, addressed the crowd and thanked parents for choosing public education and supporting schools like Howard.
Vanos said the building has represented the importance of public education to Orlando for 100 years, and she thanked Orange County taxpayers for supporting school funding. As for the funding, Spectrum News 13 reported that the money was coming from OCPS facilities funds, which come from taxpayers, plus the 10-year half-cent sales tax. Principal W. John McHale said the school has been a place for learning, character development, friendships and realizing possibilities.
