St. Lucie superintendent touts academic gains, previews November referendum for safety and teacher pay

Dr. Prince, superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools, used a board workshop to present what he called a ‘‘record-setting’’ year in student achievement and to preview next year’s goals and a November funding referendum. He said the district has moved students into proficiency faster than the state across reading, math, science and social studies, highlighted first-time gains in multiple grade bands, and called for voter support of a referendum that would fund school safety personnel and additional teacher pay.

Why it matters: The superintendent framed the measures as part of a broader effort to sustain recent academic gains and stabilize district finances. He said higher district letter grades and strong school performance can affect community confidence and local economic decisions, and that the referendum funds would pay primarily for trained deputies in schools and for teacher compensation increases.

Dr. Prince stressed the district’s progress in measurable terms. He cited an estimated districtwide graduation attendance of "over 42,000" for ceremonies and noted a 94–95% graduation rate among seniors. On academic outcomes he said St. Lucie’s growth exceeded state gains across subjects, and he pointed to specific successes: “For the first time ever, we actually have a grade band in reading that has exceeded the state in proficiency,” he said. He characterized the district’s improvement as sustained and incremental: “We’re moving students into proficiency at a much faster rate than the state.”

He also described the state’s recent change to school-grade computations — describing an ‘‘escalator’’ clause that raises the threshold for A/B ratings as more districts achieve higher grades — and showed examples of schools that could be affected. He cautioned that some scores (for students on alternate assessments) were not yet released and that a small number of schools are very close to different letter-grade thresholds.

On next steps and initiatives, Dr. Prince previewed four priorities for the coming year: continuing work on the academic core, expanding the Classrooms to Careers initiative (career fairs and internships), reinvesting in older schools (the ‘‘green zone’’) and maintaining mental-health supports for staff and students. He promoted a planned K–8 in Fort Pierce that he said will break ground on July 28 and open in August 2028, and he thanked principals and operations staff for delivering projects on time and on budget.

The superintendent identified several fiscal strategies to augment the general fund: offering a la carte classes to students using Florida Empowerment Scholarships, leasing district facilities (auditoriums and cafeterias) to outside groups, developing adult/community education programs, and pursuing a move to a larger insurance trust or partial self-insurance to contain escalating health costs. He said the district is exploring joining or expanding participation in the Florida Educator Health Trust and aims to be fully self-insured under a fleet trust by January 2027 if viable.

Voices from the meeting underscored the presentation. A student introduced as Isabella described Westgate as welcoming and praised teacher support, and a brief prerecorded clip included St. Lucie staff introducing the 8th Grade Experience career event. Dr. Prince summarized the 8th Grade Experience and related career fairs, saying roughly 750–760 eighth graders and about 30 businesses participated and that some students were hired on site.

On the proposed referendum, Dr. Prince said voters would be asked to approve funding "primarily" for trained resource officers in every school (two in high schools and additional coverage at some middle schools) and additional compensation for teachers; he added that the measure would also provide mental-health supports and a small share for fine-arts programming. He reminded board members that district staff may educate the public about referendum details but must not cross legal limits on advocacy.

Board members praised the results and asked for follow-up briefings on program details such as curriculum and principal staffing at the new Fort Pierce K–8. The meeting concluded with applause and adjournment.

The district did not present formal motions or votes at the workshop. Dr. Prince said statewide test scores and official school/district grades are scheduled to be released around the end of June or the week of the Fourth of July; he emphasized that some final school grades remain contingent on pending alternate-assessment results and ongoing audits.

What’s next: The board will receive the superintendent’s proposed goals at an upcoming meeting and will be briefed on referendum materials and program-level details (construction and offerings) for the new K–8. The district will issue formal media materials when the state posts official scores.