$2 million has been cut from Saint Lucie County Public Schools

TLDR: Per a new federal mandate, $2 million has been cut from Saint Lucie County Public Schools’ Title I budget, potentially having downstream effects on after school programs, student enrichment incentives, supplemental stipend pay for teachers, and even entire staff positions. There’s also been a freeze on Title II, III, and IV budgets pending further federal review. Here’s what that means for Saint Lucie County.

Basic Terms:

Title I: Supports after school tutoring and enrichment programs. Also funds grant based positions, including but not limited to teachers, administrators, and clerks. Allocation is based on the socioeconomic status of students in each school.

Title II, III, IV: Currently under federal review.

• Title II supports teacher recruitment, development, and retention.
• Title III provides supplemental services for English Language Learners (ELL) and migrant education programs.
• Title IV supports student enrichment, well rounded education, digital literacy, and school safety.

Why This Matters: Many Saint Lucie County students and parents rely on programs backed by Title I funding, from tutoring and field trips to learning tools like IXL and Study Island. These resources helped boost several school grades last year, contributing to the district’s new “A” status. Budgets had already been loosely set for the 2025–26 school year. This new cut forces a restructuring that many weren’t prepared for.

What This Means: This will hit Green Zone schools hardest, including C.A. Moore, Dan McCarty, Saint Lucie Elementary, and more. These schools serve students with the highest economic need, and Title I funding helps cover critical salaries, supports, and materials. According to one source, union wage negotiations scheduled for July 30 have also been postponed, with no new date yet confirmed. Reallocation of funds is likely, but what that looks like is still unclear.

What’s Next: The district is awaiting further guidance from both federal and state agencies. There are conversations underway about alternative solutions for tutoring and support programs, but nothing is finalized. The district's main priority however, is to use what’s available to protect the employment of the federally funded staff.

Last Note:

We broke down the 2024–25 Title I allocations school by school. As of now, 30.76% of that budget went to Green Zone schools. If these cuts go deeper, that percentage and the students it represents may shrink too.