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St. Lucie superintendent touts first-ever A rating, expands 'Classrooms to Careers' workforce plan
Summary
St. Lucie County Superintendent Dr. John A. Prince told the County Commission on Sept. 16 that St. Lucie Public Schools earned its first-ever A rating and outlined expansion of career-focused K–12 programs and continued academic recovery from COVID-era disruptions.
St. Lucie County Superintendent John A. Prince told the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 that St. Lucie Public Schools earned its first A grade from the state for the first time in district history and outlined a multi-pronged plan to sustain academic gains and expand workforce pathways.
Prince presented a “year in review” and an initiative he called “Classrooms to Careers,” saying the district plans to scale career awareness in elementary grades, exploration in middle school and internships/apprenticeships in high school in collaboration with the St. Lucie County Economic Development Council. “We are building the future of St. Lucie County today,” Prince said in a recorded video shown to the commission.
The superintendent framed the A rating as the product of sustained focus on core subjects and relationship-driven instruction. He said the district offers 55 career and technical education programs and highlighted gains measured against state results: the district outpaced state gains cited by the superintendent in multiple subjects — for example, he said St. Lucie gains in grades 3–10 reading were +43 versus +21 for the state, and math gains were +46 versus +17 for the state. He also noted an overall district increase of +120 points across assessed areas versus +76 statewide.
Prince described targeted work to mitigate learning setbacks tied to the pandemic, pointing out that students who were in kindergarten during COVID’s early months remain a cohort with lower proficiency and need continued remediation. He also noted the district’s emphasis on acceleration (moving students through curriculum faster when ready): Prince said elementary students in accelerated opportunities increased from about 481 in 2021–22 to about 1,250 in the most recent year.
On facilities and capital, Prince thanked voters for approving the district’s half-penny surtax for capital projects (he said it carried with nearly 70% voter support) and credited coordinated work with the county on infrastructure for new schools. He also addressed the district’s priority mix: maintaining and revitalizing older schools, continuing gains in reading and math, expanding acceleration, and supporting student and staff mental health.
Commissioners thanked Prince and his team and expressed support for the Classrooms to Careers program; Commissioner [Lee] said the county would assist where possible. After the presentation the commission and school officials took a group photo in the chambers.
Why it matters: The district’s A rating and the superintendent’s plan to scale K–12 career pipelines tie school performance to local workforce development. If implemented as described, the Classrooms to Careers initiative would channel industry partnerships and internships into high school-to-work pathways, affecting local employment pipelines and county economic planning.
What’s next: Prince and district staff made materials (a year-in-review book and technical education program guide) available to commissioners; he invited questions and follow-up collaboration with the county and the Economic Development Council.
