Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Achievement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Lucie superintendent: graduation rates, test scores jump; district projects first-ever A
Summary
Superintendent John Prince told the school board the district’s graduation rate has exceeded 90% for nine years, the district outperformed the state across multiple subjects this year, and district staff project enough points (775) to reach an A district grade for the first time.
Dr. John Prince, superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools, told the school board at a June workshop that the district’s graduation and test-score metrics rose sharply this year and that staff project the district has earned 775 points — above the 762 points Prince said are needed to earn an A under the state’s formula.
Prince said the district’s graduation rate has exceeded 90% for nine consecutive years and that “for the ninth straight year, we've achieved a graduation rate above 90 percent.” He credited principals, teachers and district supports for improvements across reading, math, science and social studies and described broad gains in proficiency and learning gains compared with statewide performance.
The superintendent presented a consolidated view of multiple metrics the state uses to calculate school and district grades, including proficiency in grades 3–10, learning gains, performance of the lowest 25 percent of students, acceleration (middle-school students taking high-school courses), college-and-career measures and graduation rate. Prince highlighted several specific figures he said illustrated the improvement: a rise from about 2,600 students in accelerated coursework in 2014–15 to 8,833 this year; a one percentage-point attendance increase that he said equates to about 800 more students in school daily; and year-to-year changes such as “plus 43” in reading versus a statewide “plus 30” in his slide comparisons.
Prince also previewed school-by-school projections, naming schools he said were projected to move to A or B ratings and noting Fort Pierce Westwood’s projected B would be the first B in that school’s history. He emphasized that the district’s projected 775 points would, if confirmed by the state, produce the district’s first A rating and described that outcome as “a real, game changer” for economic development and community reputation.
Prince cautioned that school grades—and the third-grade cell recently added to the state formula—do not capture all work inside schools and that grades can carry consequences beyond academics. He said the district will continue to monitor a vulnerable cohort of fifth-graders who missed early instruction during the pandemic and pledged continued focus on core instruction and sustained acceleration strategies.
Board members who spoke at the meeting offered public thanks. Debbie Holly, a school board member, said she wanted to “absorb this atmosphere” and celebrate the results.
Prince said staff will finalize and present predictions and related details to principals and the board at upcoming meetings, and that formal state confirmations and the school-grade calculation process still govern final outcomes. He also said staff will report detailed metrics and recommended goals for 2025–26 for the board’s consideration.
