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School board member outlines Riviera Beach high school plan, vocational tracks and elementary reconfiguration
Summary
School Board Member Edwin Ferguson told a Riviera Beach town hall the district has approved constructing a local high school and is seeking resident input on choice programs (marine industry, hospitality, trades); he described elementary-grade reconfiguration and invited residents to complete a district survey shaping programming.
School Board Member Edwin Ferguson told a Riviera Beach town hall the district has approved building a Riviera Beach high school and is asking residents to shape the new campus' programs.
"We were able to convince the board ... to agree to the construction of this school, which will open in August of 2030," Ferguson said, adding that the timeline mentioned in the meeting varied across remarks and that the district has not provided a single, definitive opening date.
Ferguson outlined plans to offer career-technical education at multiple levels, including marine-industry pathways, hospitality management and trades such as HVAC and mechanic training. He said those programs would be scaffolded from elementary grades through high school so students can gain skills early and be positioned for local workforce opportunities.
The board member also described an approved reconfiguration of two Riviera Beach elementary schools: West Riviera will house pre-K through second grade and Bethune will serve grades three through five. He said Lincoln Elementary will close to accommodate Inlet Grove under a contractual district move and that the reconfiguration is intended to improve kindergarten readiness and later third-grade reading outcomes.
Ferguson said the district is contracting a firm to help retain students who might otherwise transfer to private or charter schools and estimated the new high school's eventual capacity at about 1,700 students, while noting year-one enrollment will likely be lower because the school will initially house only lower grades.
Residents pressed Ferguson on internships, co-op arrangements and links with local employers. He pointed to county vocational centers including North Tech and West Tech and recommended that residents include program preferences and suggestions in the town-hall survey so the district's choice offerings reflect local needs.
Next steps: Ferguson asked residents to complete a QR-code survey the district is distributing and to email him if they did not receive it; he said survey results will inform program selection, principal and staffing priorities and additional outreach.
This account draws on Ferguson's presentation and the subsequent question-and-answer session at the Riviera Beach town hall.
