ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — St. Lucie Public Schools broke ground Tuesday morning on a new elementary school, one of three new facilities set to open over the next two years as the district grapples with rapid enrollment growth.
The district is adding about 1,500 students a year, a surge that has pushed existing schools to capacity.
WATCH BELOW: St. Lucie County breaks ground on new elementary school amid growth
"The bottom line is we're busting at the seams here in St. Lucie County with our public schools," Superintendent Dr. Jon R. Prince said.
To manage the growth, officials are constructing a new K-8 school — the first of its kind in the Tradition area.
"It's going to be done in one year. That's absolutely crazy. It's a $70 million facility," Prince said at Tuesday's ceremony.
The state-of-the-art Western Grove K-8 school is designed to help ease the strain on an already overburdened system. District enrollment currently sits at 45,661 students, with roughly 1,500 new students joining the county each year.
To meet the demand, the district is also preparing to open the new Legacy High School in August, a facility designed to welcome students from across — and even outside — St. Lucie County.
"We have to make sure they feel welcome at our school, that they feel attended to, that we meet their needs and we feel very confident that we will be able to do that for all of our students," Todd Smith, the principal of Legacy High School, said.
Legacy High School is built to accommodate more than 2,000 students. However, during its inaugural year of enrollment, it will be capped at 1,600 since the school will not yet have a senior class.
"When you think about growth, you think about the health science industry, hospitality, tourism, the dental industry, exercise science," Smith added. "We are going to have all of those programs on campus that we can grow our own and prepare them."
Meanwhile, Fort Pierce Westwood — a school dating back to 1977 — is getting a major revamp.
"This is a replacement school, so basically the same number of kids — we have it rated for this, so we are looking at about 2,000 students," David Alfonso, principal of Fort Pierce Westwood, said.
Prince emphasized that these developments are aimed at providing the best educational opportunities.
"We want to make sure we provide educational opportunities for families moving here," Prince said. "But not just that, we're keeping all of our campuses well maintained because every child deserves a first-class education."
The new Fort Pierce Westwood is set to open after winter break next year, Legacy High School will open this fall and Western Grove K-8 is slated to open in 2026.
