Windermere Preparatory School is moving forward with plans for a new elementary campus in Hamlin, a project school leaders say is needed to accommodate growing demand at the private school’s existing campus just south of Winter Garden-Vineland Road near the Butler Chain of Lakes.
On June 10, Orange County’s Development Review Committee recommended approval of a development plan for a two-story K-5 private school and associated sports fields designed to serve up to 880 students. The proposed campus would be built on approximately 13.69 acres north of New Independence Parkway in Hamlin.
“We’ve been a very successful school,” Alex Birchenall, head of school at Windermere Preparatory School, told GrowthSpotter. “We’re bursting at the seams and have a wait list.”
The new location would operate as a second lower school serving elementary-age students.
“We’re not closing the existing lower school at Windermere Prep. We’re just creating another one,” Birchenall said. “We’ve had this idea of expanding for quite some time and we’ve been looking for the right spot, the right opportunity.”
According to Birchenall, school leaders identified the Hamlin site about a year ago and have since been working with project partners and Orange County staff to advance the proposal through the approval process. The school is working with Ditman Architecture of Deerfield Beach and Winter Garden-based WMG Development on the project, he said.
The campus would include classroom space, sports fields and other student facilities. Birchenall said athletic amenities are planned for elementary-age students and community use, though the campus is not intended to host varsity-level competition.
The development plan also includes a requested parking waiver and is tied to a separate application modifying portions of Hamlin’s framework street and connectivity requirements. Earlier Wednesday, the Development Review Committee recommended approval of those related requests as well.
The project still requires additional county approvals. Birchenall said the school expects approximately six months of permitting after receiving final approvals and hopes to begin construction near the end of 2026 or in early 2027.
The proposed campus would be located at 15765 New Independence Parkway in the Hamlin area of Horizon West. Census data estimates Horizon West’s population has grown to roughly 67,000 residents, reflecting continued residential growth that has fueled demand for schools, retail and other community services.
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