School board reviews green‑zone plan to build new K–8, consolidate three campuses and repurpose alternative education site

Dr. Prince, superintendent of Saint Lucie Public Schools, presented a plan July 29 asking the school board to support a multi‑year green‑zone revitalization that would consolidate Lawnwood Elementary, Saint Lucie Elementary and the Dale Cassens programs into a single new K–8 school adjacent to the current Dan McCarty campus and move the district's alternative education programs onto the Dan McCarty site.

The plan, as described by district staff, would: build a new K–8 next to Dan McCarty; convert Chester A. Moore into a K–8 with a new gym and middle‑school upgrades (a project the district estimated at about $15,000,000); relocate the Dale Cassens alternative education program to the Dan McCarty campus so the program's two current sites could be combined; and market or sell the Lawnwood, Saint Lucie Elementary and the Bridal/Garden City properties once the new facility is ready. Dr. Prince said the district would lease back the existing buildings so students would remain in place until the new school opens.

The district cited growth and capacity planning as the immediate drivers: Legacy High School is scheduled to open in August 2025, a Western Grove K–8 is planned for August 2026, and staff showed a timeline that could see the consolidated K–8 delivered in the late 2020s with "earliest beam 2028" noted. Superintendent Dr. Prince told the board the district is near its borrowing limit and that the consolidation plan is intended to deliver a new facility in the green zone without increasing district debt.

District presenters shared performance and operational data to justify the consolidation. Dr. Summer, a district data analyst, reported combined learning‑gain and year‑to‑year growth metrics showing the three schools' combined reading and math growth roughly matched or exceeded district averages in 2025; combined discipline referrals and attendance rates were near the district median. Dr. Waller and Terrence O'Leary reviewed maps and growth projections that show the county's fastest enrollment growth concentrated in the southwestern "red zone," while the green zone areas under consideration have slower growth but aging facilities.

Board members asked about staff and principal assignments, possible displacement and community engagement. Several board members emphasized that no positions would be eliminated and that staff would be reassigned under contract language at the time of transition. Board members and the superintendent also said community input and naming of any new school would be part of the process. Sabrina Taylor, a Fort Pierce resident and Saint Lucie Public Schools graduate who spoke during public comment, told the board she supports keeping the new facility in the existing neighborhood and urged continued transparency: "I too support the... it should remain in that community," she said.

Staff outlined benefits the district expects: modernized classrooms and HVAC efficiencies, expanded career and technical education (CTE) space for the alternative program, a gym for students who currently lack one, and local economic activity tied to construction. The superintendent said the district estimates the board's recent and planned construction will inject about $250,000,000 into local companies and contractors over three years.

No formal vote was taken during the work session. Dr. Prince asked for direction and said any actual property negotiations or contract approvals would return to the board. He also committed to regular updates to the board (about every one to two months) and to keep community engagement and transparency part of the process.