ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Watchful parents on the playground at Whispering Pines Park in Port St Lucie are also watching the growth in St Lucie County.
WATCH BELOW: 'We're planning aggressively,' Superintendent Jon Prince tells WPTV's Tyler Hatfield
“I mean the growth is rapid,” said Bernard King from Port St. Lucie.
Rapid growth, King’s watched happen over the last 18 years.
He now has two kids in the district.
“The kids aren't in an overcrowded space,” said King. “They’re able to learn at a smaller scale.”
King thinks the newly built Legacy High school, opening this year in Tradition, will help accommodate the growth.
“I think anytime you add something with a good system in it, I think that's always good for growth,” said King.
This year, St. Lucie Public Schools will add 609 students.
WATCH: Enrollment underway at Legacy High School
WPTV found numbers showing the district’s enrollment has exploded by 14 percent in 4 years—from 43,493 in 2021 to 49,421 this year.
Superintendent Jon Prince took WPTV on a tour of the new Legacy High School as construction crews make finishing touches for its 1,800 students and 75 teachers.
“They’re literally working 24 hours a day,” said Prince.
READ MORE BACK-TO-SCHOOL COVERAGE
Prince said growth in the county isn’t stopping and the school district is keeping up.
“We're being aggressive,” said Prince. “We're planning aggressively.”
In 2026, St. Lucie Public Schools will welcome students to the new West Grove K-8.
“We're addressing that growth by building K-8 a mile from here,” said Prince. “So, we don't have larger class sizes, so we can keep the class sizes down.”
WATCH BELOW: Legacy High School in Port St. Lucie on track to open in August 2025
Prince said in the northern part of the county, they’re revamping Fort Pierce Westwood Academy to be complete in January.
“When students go away for the winter holidays, they're going to come back and enter a new school up in Fort Pierce,” said Prince.
Prince said they can plan for growth, by keeping a close eye on the housing market.
“We have a number of K-8’s planned across our district in the next five to seven years,” said Prince.
King said he’ll be watching the district’s long-term growth plans as his kids continue to grow, too.
“When you spread out and open up more schools,” said King. “Kids get more attention.”
Read more of WPTV's back-to-school coverage below: