Tradition Lakes K-8 School opening delayed in St. Lucie County
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
The grand opening of a new public school in St. Lucie County will have to wait.
Multiple sources confirmed to WPBF 25 News on Thursday, Aug. 6, that Tradition Lakes K-8 School will not be open to students for the first day of school, which is scheduled for Aug. 10.
The target date to open the school is on Monday, Aug. 17.
The St. Lucie Public Schools released the following statement to WPBF 25 News on Thursday:
“St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon R. Prince announced today that the first day of school for students at Tradition Lakes K-8 will move one week, from August 10 to Monday, August 17, 2026. The additional week gives teachers and staff time to complete final classroom preparations at the district’s newest school.
“I made the decision to delay the opening of Tradition Lakes K-8 by one week, and I want our families to hear the reasoning directly from me,” said Prince. “After inspecting the school, I didn’t feel staff had enough time to adequately prepare it for our parents and children. More time was needed. Delaying the start for a week will ensure our students get the first impression they deserve while also ensuring no changes need to be made to the school calendar moving forward.”
“Our families have waited a long time for this school, and Tradition Lakes students deserve the very best we can give them,” Prince said. “I am not willing to hand them anything less on their very first day.”
The district will share community childcare options for families who need them during the week of August 10-14. Open House is scheduled for Friday, August 14, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., where families can meet teachers and tour the campus before the first day.
Updates will be posted on the Tradition Lakes K-8 website and on school/district social media channels.”
Tradition Lakes K-8 School in Port St. Lucie will not open in time for the first day of school on Aug. 10, according to a source.
WPBF 25 News reported during its back-to-school special on Tuesday that Tradition Lakes K-8, located at 10701 SW Sundance Vista Boulevard in Port St. Lucie, is a new campus that will host as many as 1,600 students.
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“We are busting at the seams in the south and the west. And this school is so conveniently located to families that we’re going to have a tremendous number of students that are walking or even other parents dropping the kids off in a golf cart,” said John R. Prince, superintendent of St. Lucie County Public Schools told WPBF 25 News in the Aug. 4 back to school special.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
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