PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Palm Beach County School District's Advisory Boundary Committee approved plans Thursday night to move building a new public high school in Riviera Beach one step forward, which would be one of the first public high schools in the area for students.
WATCH BELOW: 'I think it's a good thing,' Rosalie Burgher tells WPTV
The new school will replace the current Inlet Grove Community High School, which is a charter school and not part of the Palm Beach County school district.
However, Inlet Grove students and staff will need to relocate, triggering a major shuffle of campuses and school zones throughout the area.
Community welcomes local option
"I think it's a good thing, because it gives the local kids somewhere to go nearer instead of somewhere out of their district to go and find school," said Rosalie Burgher, who lives across the street from where the future high school will be built.
Burgher said this will be the first time students in Riviera Beach will have a local public community high school to attend.
Currently, local high schoolers have to drive to Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens or Palm Beach Lakes High School in West Palm Beach.
While Suncoast Community High School is located in Riviera Beach, it is a magnet school. The current school on the project site, Inlet Grove, is a charter school.
Major rezoning plan approved
In the proposal approved by the school district's advisory boundary committee, officials formulated a major rezoning of elementary schools to accommodate the new high school.
Under the plan, Inlet Grove Community High School would move to Lincoln Elementary.
Lincoln students would then be split between Bethune and West Riviera campuses, with the three school zones becoming one. West Riviera Elementary would become a pre-K through 2nd grade campus, while Bethune will serve 3rd through 5th grade students.
With the proposal, the upper portion of Bethune zoned students will then be absorbed with Washington Elementary students. One city staff member pointed out the change in zoning will eliminate students having to cross over Blue Heron Boulevard.
Mayor addresses concerns
"Be patient," said Riviera Beach Mayor Douglas Lawson, when asked about potential frustration from families during the transition. "Know that there is a process and a plan but there's going to be a path for greatness for Riviera Beach."
Lawson addressed concerns about losing Lincoln Elementary School and merging three elementary schools into two.
"Those two elementary schools were not operating at full capacity, so they were less than the 80% capacity," Lawson said. "So combining them will not be overwhelming for the schools, it makes so much more sense."
He said the merge will allow the schools to receive more funding. The city will host community town halls to listen and address any concerns about the upcoming high school.
Lawson said some of the biggest concerns include questions about what the school will look like, whether it will receive proper funding and how officials plan to invest in it.
Timeline and next steps
The city hopes to break ground sometime next year, with the high school expected to be operational by 2030.
"Our kids are bused to about four different high schools throughout Palm Beach County and sometimes they have to wake up an hour or two ahead of time compared to some of the other schools," Lawson said.
Lawson thanked School District Board member Edwin Ferguson for helping move the project forward.
The superintendent will need to approve the project and host a workshop. After the workshop, the board will eventually vote on the proposal at a subsequent meeting.
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