First day at Tradition Lakes delayed, impacting 1,100 Florida students

St. Lucie County Public Schools has delayed the first day for its newest school, Tradition Lakes K-8, pushing the opening back one week and affecting more than 1,000 students. Most district schools plan to start on Aug. 10, but Tradition Lakes K-8 is now scheduled to open Aug. 17. Superintendent Jon Prince said the decision came after inspecting the building and concluding staff needed additional time to adequately prepare for families. District spokesperson Lydia Martin said St. Lucie County is projected to enroll 42,505 students this year, excluding charter schools. Tradition Lakes K-8 is expected to enroll 1,100 students, down from an earlier estimate of about 1,900. The 225,000-square-foot, $76 million school sits near the southeast corner of Powerline Road and Tradition Parkway in Port St. Lucie.