William S. Maxey and Tildenville Elementary: Two Winter Garden Schools With Deep Local Roots
Two OCPS elementary schools, two very different stories — and both are quietly some of the most historically significant campuses in West Orange County
William S. Maxey Elementary School (602 E. Story Road) and Tildenville Elementary School (1221 Brick Road) are two Orange County Public Schools serving Winter Garden, FL families in grades VPK–5. Maxey enrolls approximately 508 students and operates a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet program with focus areas in dance, music, theater, and visual arts. Tildenville enrolls approximately 680 students and sits on a historic site that has hosted a school continuously since 1905. Both campuses post test-score proficiency above district and state averages, and both are named for figures central to West Orange County's early history.
When families relocate to Winter Garden, schools are often an afterthought until offer day. That's a mistake — because two of the most interesting elementary schools in West Orange County sit just a few miles apart inside the city limits, and neither one looks like a generic suburban school once you scratch the surface.
William S. Maxey Elementary and Tildenville Elementary are both Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) campuses serving grades VPK through 5, both posting above-average test scores, and both carrying names that connect directly to Winter Garden's actual history — not developer names slapped on a 2018 stucco building. Here's the real story on both.
William S. Maxey Elementary: The Visual & Performing Arts Magnet
Maxey is not just a neighborhood school — it's a magnet. Specifically, it runs a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet program, with focus tracks in dance, music, theater, and visual arts. That changes the calculus completely if you have a kid who lights up around a stage or a sketchpad.
Magnet status means families outside the regular attendance zone can apply through the OCPS magnet lottery. The arts curriculum is structured into the school day, not bolted on after.
Who Were the Maxeys?
The school is named for William S. Maxey and his wife Juanita, who arrived in Winter Garden in 1937. William served 28 years as principal of what was then the Winter Garden School for the Colored — eventually renamed for Dr. Charles R. Drew, the pioneering Black physician and researcher. Juanita taught there for 45 years. When the elementary grades were later separated from Drew, the new campus was named in honor of the Maxeys.
That history matters. A lot of Florida elementary schools are named after subdivisions or developers. This one is named after two people who spent their working lives educating West Orange County kids during segregation.
The Numbers (and What They Mean)
Maxey enrolls about 508 students with a 16:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Recent state test data shows roughly 64% proficiency in math and 64% in reading — both above district averages. SchoolDigger ranks Maxey 741st of more than 2,200 Florida elementary schools. The school serves a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students than the district average, which makes those proficiency numbers meaningful.
Tildenville Elementary: 120+ Years on the Same Brick Road
Tildenville Elementary sits at 1221 Brick Road. Brick Road is exactly what it sounds like: a roughly half-mile remnant of the original brick-paved Highway 22 that once ran from Lake County to Orlando — one of the last preserved sections of brick highway in Central Florida. There has been a school operating on that property for over 120 years.
A two-story frame schoolhouse went up on the site in 1905 on land donated by the Willis family. It was replaced with a brick building, expanded in 1918, rebuilt in 1964, and completely replaced again in 2006 (during which year students were bused to the West Orange High School Ninth-Grade Campus). The current building is modern, but the institution itself predates almost every other school in West Orange County still on its original site.
The Tildenville Connection
The school takes its name from the historic community of Tildenville — an unincorporated area between Winter Garden and Ocoee founded by citrus pioneer Luther F. Tilden in the late 1800s. Tilden bought 561 acres south of Lake Apopka and helped establish the area's earliest schools. The Tildenville Power Company, formed in 1919, brought first electric service to Winter Garden in April 1920.
So when you drop your kid off at Tildenville, they're walking onto a campus that has educated West Orange County children since Theodore Roosevelt was president.
The Numbers at Tildenville
Tildenville is the larger of the two schools, with about 680 students and a 17:1 ratio across 41 full-time teachers. Recent state assessment data shows roughly 68% math proficiency and 64% reading proficiency — also above district and state averages. The school operates a Gifted & Talented program, and U.S. News ranks it #621 in Florida out of 2,177 ranked elementary schools.
The student body is more economically mixed than Maxey's — about 34% economically disadvantaged versus Maxey's 58%. That's a real difference and worth knowing if you're comparing the two for a relocation decision.
How They Compare
Choose Maxey if you have an artsy kid, want magnet-level arts instruction during the school day, and are open to applying through the OCPS magnet lottery from outside the zone. Choose Tildenville if you're zoned for it, want a larger school with a strong gifted track, and value the historical continuity of a 120-year-old campus.
Geographically, Tildenville sits closer to downtown Winter Garden's Plant Street and the West Orange Trail. Maxey is further east off Story Road, closer to the boundary with Ocoee. If your home search is in Horizon West or newer subdivisions south of Winter Garden, neither school is likely your zoned elementary. Always verify zoning with the OCPS school locator before making an offer.
The Honest Pros and Cons
Maxey:
Pros: Visual and Performing Arts Magnet open to out-of-zone applicants; smaller size (508 students); strong test scores given the demographic mix; meaningful local naming history.
Cons: Higher chronic absenteeism rates than the district average; older campus footprint; magnet seats are competitive and not guaranteed.
Tildenville:
Pros: Established gifted program with above-average proficiency; 2006 rebuild means modern facility on a historic site; walkable to downtown Winter Garden for some families; larger school means more grade-level peer cohorts.
Cons: Larger size (680 students) isn't for every family; not a true magnet — gifted programming is selective and zoned-priority; Brick Road area has limited modern parking/drop-off infrastructure.
What the Locals Know
Here's what doesn't show up on GreatSchools or Niche: both schools are tied to Winter Garden's actual identity. Maxey carries the name of educators who served the Black community during segregation. Tildenville sits on a site that has educated kids since 1905, named for a citrus pioneer who helped build the town. If you're moving here because you like the sense of place — the brick streets, the restored downtown, the West Orange Trail running through history — these schools are part of that story.
Practically: tour both before you commit. The OCPS school locator tells you which one you're zoned for, but tours tell you which one fits your kid. Maxey's arts focus is genuinely different from a standard elementary; if your child is one of those kids, the magnet application is worth it from outside the zone.
For more West Orange County context, see our guide to elementary schools in Ocoee, our coverage of downtown Winter Garden, and our writeup on the 429 Expressway through Winter Garden.
For school hours, magnet applications, and enrollment details, visit William S. Maxey Elementary and Tildenville Elementary, or the Orange County Public Schools district site.
Relocating to Winter Garden and want help understanding which neighborhoods feed which schools? Browse Winter Garden homes for sale or Ocoee homes for sale, or contact us for personalized West Orange County advice.
