CLERMONT, Fla. — Aurelia M. Cole Academy is welcoming students for the first time Thursday. About 800 students are expected to arrive in the elementary grades, while an additional 400 students are heading to middle school.

Folks may see more new schools pop up in Lake County because it is the fifth-fastest growing county in the state, with the area seeing a nearly 35% growth rate back in 2022, according to Elevate Lake. With more people comes more children, which is something for which the school district is preparing. 

“There are some changes happening, not only the opening of Aurelia M. Cole Academy. We’re continuing to plan for more schools to come. Every year, we’re opening a new school or planning a new school because we’re a growing community,” Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay said.

The Aurelia M. Cole Academy is a performing arts-focused school. Students go through Florida’s basic curriculum and have outside courses on top of that.

It’s something the district told Spectrum News 13 is important as they offer more school options. 

According to Lake County Schools, the new school is named after Aurelia M. Cole, who served as a dean of students at Clermont High School.

She was also the assistant principal at Mount Dora High School, Cecil E. Gray Middle School and Clermont Middle School; and principal at East Ridge High School.

It was at East Ridge High School in 2004 where she made history as the first African American high school principal in Lake County after integration. She was later appointed assistant superintendent.

Cole died in 2018.