Category: Press Releases

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – Fort Pierce Westwood High School’s Makeda-Ione Brome has been nominated for the 2019-2020 national LifeChanger of the Year award.  Brome was nominated by her colleagues for her leadership and selfless dedication. She is dedicated to helping both students and colleagues achieve excellence. Brome, the St. Lucie Public Schools Teacher of the Year, models best classroom practices, leads collaborative planning sessions, tutors students, and spearheads math boot camps for students before and after school.  Brome voluntarily transferred from a high-performing magnet school to Fort Pierce Westwood High School because she felt she could make the most … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools is looking for residents to serve on the Referendum Citizens Advisory Committee.  The Committee’s sole duty will be to provide oversight to ensure that the referendum funds are used for the purposes described in the referendum ballot language.  On April 23, 2019, voters approved a 1 mil property tax to raise teacher pay and retain high quality teachers, improve school safety with school resource officers in every school, expand mental health services and preserve important school programs. School District staff shall provide the Committee with sufficient information, documents and administrative support … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – The District and the CTA/CU Negotiations Teams met to begin salary negotiations and have reached a tentative agreement for the utilization of referendum funds earmarked for teacher salaries.  In this tentative agreement, the Board and St. Lucie CTA/CU agree to a four-year provision for all eligible teachers (including new hires) to receive a Referendum Recruitment and Retention Annual Supplement in the following amounts beginning with the 2019-2020 school year:   Beginning teachers = $1,000  1- 5 years eligible experience = $2,000  6-9 years eligible experience = $5,000  10 years + eligible experience = $7,800 This supplement … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL — The summer months are upon us, and St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) is pleased to provide FREE online resources to help all children continue learning throughout the summer.  These resources are part of the “Summer Slide” program which includes engaging web-based resources for students in prekindergarten through grade 12.  According to Director of Elementary Curriculum Kimberly Jay, “We have built a rich repository of any time, any place resources that are designed to help our students maintain their academic momentum.”  She explained that during the summer, many students have a tendency to lose some of the … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL — Growth continues in St. Lucie Public Schools according to the Florida Department of Education’s release of Grade 3 ELA Scores.  The District saw a four-percentage point increase over last year’s benchmark; furthermore, 62% of the County’s traditional schools increased in the number of students who scored at proficiency levels (Levels 3, 4, and 5). Bayshore Elementary showed the greatest gain in the District over last year with a 21% gain. Other schools with large increases include Floresta Elementary with a 16% increase; Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies with a 15% increase; and St. … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) Kindergarten open enrollment is scheduled to re-open with 24/7 online access.  The registration window will begin on May 20, 2019 and remain open until June 21, 2019.  Students entering kindergarten must be five years on or before September 1, 2019.   According to SLPS Student Assignment Director Michelle Jerger, “We understand that selecting a school for a child is a very important decision. Access to online enrollment provides our parents and guardians with more flexibility in the process.  All they need to do is visit our online enrollment site (https://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/departments/student-assignment/) … Read More

Fort Pierce, Florida – St. Lucie Public Schools will participate in the Summer Food Service Program during the months of June and July.  Nutritionally balanced meals will be provided to all children regardless of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin during summer vacation when school breakfasts and lunches are not available.  At open sites, all children, 18 years old and younger, are eligible for meals at no charge, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.  The programs are only approved for geographical areas of need where 50 percent or more of the … Read More

FORT PIERCE, FL – The venue for the St. Lucie County School Board Public Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, April 30 at 8:30 a.m. has changed to Fort Pierce Central High School’s auditorium located at 4101 S. 25th Street in Fort Pierce. The original location was slated for Allapattah Flats K-8 School. The new location will provide attendees with an enhanced parking area and facilitate a safe and efficient process for entering the meeting through the auditorium. About St. Lucie Public Schools  St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) proudly serves students with a graduation rate of 91.8 percent.  As a B rated … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent E. Wayne Gent and School Board members thank St. Lucie County voters and community members for supporting the education referendum with a 66% vote. “The record number of returned ballots and support from our community speaks volumes to the value placed on a quality public school education system. High performing students must have high performing teachers, and they must have opportunities to learn on safe and secure campuses,” said Superintendent Gent. He added that students will also benefit from expanded mental health services and important programs afforded to them by this … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent E. Wayne Gent and School Board members thank St. Lucie County voters and community members for supporting the education referendum with a 66% vote. “The record number of returned ballots and support from our community speaks volumes to the value placed on a quality public school education system. High performing students must have high performing teachers, and they must have opportunities to learn on safe and secure campuses,” said Superintendent Gent. He added that students will also benefit from expanded mental health services and important programs afforded to them by this referendum. “Many … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL  — In a competitive academic competition, local high school teams competed for top honors and individual team members vied for a seat on the prestigious Team St. Lucie – an elite six-member team representing St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) at the 34th Annual Commissioner’s Academic Challenge. This state competition took place April 11-13, 2019 at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn where the St. Lucie Team advanced to the Division 2 Finals and ended up finishing 5th in the state! Maria Battaglino Hernandez, Madeleine Sosa, Callie Zheng (Lincoln Park Academy); Ryan Lu (Treasure Coast High School); Alan Senkus (St. … Read More

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools is proud to announce that Morningside Elementary’s (MSE) Odyssey of the Mind Team won first place at the state competition and is advancing to the World Finals competition slated for May 21 – May 26 in Lansing, Michigan. MSE’s team will convene with approximately 850 other teams for what is deemed to be the largest creative problem-solving competition. When asked about the school’s team, Principal Kathleen Melrose said, “The students learn more than just engineering and performance arts, they learn to cooperate and work together. They learn to accept and build on each … Read More

FORT PIERCE, FL – Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie’s (CAST) eighth grade science teacher, Aaron Barnes, was selected to represent CAST at Texas A & M University’s G-Camp through their College of Geosciences. The acceptance into this program is an extreme honor as only 50 teachers in the United States are chosen for this opportunity. G-Camp is a 20-day field camp for teachers that provides first-hand experience with the principles of geology in the field. It helps develop new curriculum and virtual field trips for classrooms and makes learning outdoors fun and exciting. This field experience puts participants on an outcrop, … Read More

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools is proud to announce that Morningside Elementary’s (MSE) Odyssey of the Mind Team won first place at the state competition and is advancing to the World Finals competition slated for May 21 – May 26 in Lansing, Michigan. MSE’s team will convene with approximately 850 other teams for what is deemed to be the largest creative problem-solving competition.   When asked about the school’s team, Principal Kathleen Melrose said, “The students learn more than just engineering and performance arts, they learn to cooperate and work together. They learn to accept and build on … Read More

FORT PIERCE, FL – “Student Perks: It’s More Than Coffee.”  This slogan, used to promote a student-run enterprise known as Student Perks, rings true for those who instituted a work skills opportunity that began percolating four years ago in the St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program. The original Student Perks location, run by Port St. Lucie High School students, is located at the Board of County Commissioners Administration Building located at 2300 Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce, and is open to the public every Tuesday from 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM.  Students have successfully sold coffee, pastries, fresh … Read More

WHAT:  The inaugural Male Youth Summit at Performance Based Preparatory Academy is a collaboration between the Bethune-Cookman University’s Male Development Institute and the Omicron Tau (Treasure Coast) Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Breakout sessions will cover topics such as: dressing for success, grades, mental health, and time management.  Special guests include: WHO: Male students in grades six through twelve are invited to attend. Special guest speakers include Attorney Arnold Gaines and representatives from both the Fort Pierce Police Department and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department. WHERE: Performance Based Preparatory Academy 2909 Delaware Avenue Fort Pierce, FL 34947 … Read More

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – The Florida Department of Education has invited Treasure Coast High School Principal Susan Seal to the Level 2 School Principal Performance Assessment Task Development Meeting.  The purpose of this meeting, held in June at Florida Atlantic University, is to develop performance tasks aligned to the competencies and skills finalized as part of the Level 2 School Principal Performance Assessment development process. It is an honor to be invited to participate.   About St. Lucie Public Schools St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) proudly serves students with a graduation rate of 91.8 percent.  As a B rated District, there … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL – St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) is proud to share the Florida Department of Education’s (FDOE) announcement that Dan McCarty Middle School Assistant Principal Samantha Piscopo was named as one of the State’s five finalists for the 2019 District Assistant Principal of the Year!   “To be recognized as a State finalist is a great honor,” said Superintendent E. Wayne Gent. “Ms. Piscopo is an outstanding instructional leader who helps set the pace for student achievement and promotes a learning environment focused on excellence.”   Piscopo is an educational veteran who exhibits a spirit of relentlessness … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Fort Pierce Westwood High School has earned the first College Board AP®Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles. Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access in AP Computer Science courses. Out of more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, Westwood is one of only 685 to accomplish this. “We’re honored by this recognition and are proud of our female students studying computer science for their achievements,” said Principal Joseph Lezeau. “We’re committed to continuing to provide our female students … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – On Saturday March 2, 2019, four Fort Pierce Central High School students, Sarahi Fraga, McClintock Hoeffner, Luz Martinez, and Hope Thomas, won third place in the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association’s 19th Annual Management Competition, sponsored by the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality & Tourism. In this statewide competition, participating teams demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a new restaurant concept and presenting it to a panel of judges at a simulated business exposition.  The teams also submitted a written proposal for review, and presented their concepts of … Read More