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St. Lucie schools report testing gains and launch K–12 career pathway initiative
Summary
St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Prince told the county commission the district posted gains across state accountability measures, described a new K–12 careers initiative called “SLPS Gets to Work,” and gave timelines for three new school projects.
Dr. Prince, superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools, told the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners that the district improved across every state accountability measure last year and is launching a K–12 career-awareness program intended to connect students with local employers.
The initiative, billed as “SLPS Gets to Work,” will start in kindergarten with a program called “Play with Purpose,” move into middle-school career exploration and an expanded eighth-grade experience, and culminate in high-school Career and Technical Education pathways and pre-apprenticeship opportunities. “I always like to say that I’m a capitalist. I believe in a free market, and I wanna be the best game in town,” Dr. Prince said, arguing the district should prepare graduates who can enter local jobs.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the program could strengthen the local workforce as the county grows and help match graduates to employers the county seeks to attract. Dr. Prince said the district is coordinating with the county’s Economic Development Council to tailor training to localIndustry needs.
Key details presented by Dr. Prince included a 7% increase in third-grade reading proficiency, an 83% pass rate on middle-school high‑school credit exams (a 9% increase year over year), and a graduation rate above 90% for eight consecutive years. He said the district has increased industry certifications by about 10% and that nearly 1,000 students attended the most recent career events where employers interviewed students on site. Dr. Prince described Xello, an interest‑inventory platform the district uses for student career counseling, and said the district will expand career counseling and employer engagement into elementary grades.
Dr. Prince also gave scheduling details for capital projects: Legacy High School is scheduled to open this August; a new K–8 in Western Grove is sited adjacent to the park on Tradition Boulevard and scheduled to open in August 2026; and a rebuilt Fort Pierce Westwood Academy is scheduled to open in January 2026. He invited commissioners to a March 25 groundbreaking and school tour.
Commissioners and board members on hand — including School Board Chair Dr. Donna Mills and board member Debbie Hawley, and district staff mentioned by Dr. Prince — praised the district’s academic gains and CTE expansion. Commissioner comments noted visible improvements at Westwood and support for expanding career training earlier in students’ school careers.
Dr. Prince closed by encouraging continued collaboration between the school district, county government and the business community to keep graduates working locally. "What happens in St. Lucie stays in St. Lucie," he said, summarizing the district’s workforce goal.
Looking ahead: The superintendent said he expects strong district results in the upcoming testing season and reiterated the district will begin the SLPS Gets to Work rollout next school year.
