Where would a new high school go in Riviera Beach? Here's a rundown of the options

Katherine Kokal, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read

Palm Beach County School Board members are weighing several options to build a new high school in Riviera Beach.

To do so, the school district will need to change its five-year capital plan — which already includes two new high schools opening in the areas of Lake Worth Beach in August and The Acreage in August 2028 — to the tune of about $68 million.

But Edwin Ferguson, who represents Riviera Beach on the school board, says a new school is necessary to bring some of the 2,000 high school-age students back to Riviera Beach and give the community something to be proud of.

Right now, 41% of Riviera Beach's high school students attend Palm Beach Gardens High School and 24% attend Dwyer. Just 6% of Riviera Beach students attend Suncoast and 5% attend Inlet Grove, a district-run charter school on Suncoast's old campus on 28th Street just north of Blue Heron Boulevard.

More details:Does Riviera Beach need its own high school? One school board member is on a mission

Suncoast High School students during their school wide lunch period Friday Aug. 17, 2018, in Riviera Beach.
Suncoast High School students during their school wide lunch period Friday Aug. 17, 2018, in Riviera Beach.

School district staff presented four options to school board members at a recent workshop.

Here's what each of the options entails:

Existing Plan: No new high school in Riviera

Details: The school board previously approved a plan to renovate Inlet Grove, North Tech and Riviera Beach Prep.

The plan includes upgrades to the Inlet Grove's athletic fields, and roofing, water fountains and water bottle filling stations, heating, ventilation and cooling systems at all three schools.

Cost: $69 million

Completion date: August 2025

Option A: New high school on Inlet Grove campus, divide Lincoln Elementary students

Details: Build new high school on Inlet Grove's campus. District staff estimate the new building would cost around $68 million.

Move Inlet Grove students to Lincoln Elementary's campus.

Divide Lincoln Elementary students among West Riviera, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and maybe Washington elementary schools.

Cost: $100 million

Completion date: August 2028

Proposed plans for a new Riviera Beach High School include building a new high school on either the Inlet Grove campus, the North Tech campus or the Lincoln Elementary campus. All plans are still in the discussion phase.
Proposed plans for a new Riviera Beach High School include building a new high school on either the Inlet Grove campus, the North Tech campus or the Lincoln Elementary campus. All plans are still in the discussion phase.

Option B: New high school on Inlet Grove campus, move North Tech students

Details: Build a new high school on the Inlet Grove campus. District staff estimate the new building would cost $68 million.

Move Inlet Grove to its old campus on Gardens Road, which now houses the North Technical Education Center.

Move North Tech students to the new high school's campus. Lincoln Elementary students stay put.

Cost: $131 million

Completion date: August 2029

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Option C: New high school on Lincoln Elementary campus, move Lincoln students

Details: Build a new high school on the Lincoln Elementary campus. District staff estimate the new building would cost $45 million at that site.

Divide Lincoln students among other elementary schools.

North Tech and Inlet Grove students wouldn't be affected.

Cost: $75 million

Completion date: August 2027

Staff members at Lincoln Elementary School await students at the parent drop off with welcoming signs on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. The school is located just north of MLK Jr. Boulevard in Riviera Beach.
Staff members at Lincoln Elementary School await students at the parent drop off with welcoming signs on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. The school is located just north of MLK Jr. Boulevard in Riviera Beach.

Where are the next new high schools planned in Palm Beach County?

Opening August 2023: Dr. Joaquín García High School at 4906 Lyons Road, Lake Worth

Opening August 2028: Western communities high school off Seminole Pratt Whitney Road near The Acreage.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Where to put a new high school in Riviera Beach? Here are the options