ST JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – As St Johns County students wrap up the fall semester Wednesday, the school district is already planning ahead for next fall.
Superintendent Tim Forson delivered a “State of the Schools” presentation on Tuesday and revealed the district grew by more than 4% this school year alone. The district grew 24% over the last five five years.
St. Johns County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S.
To keep up with the county’s growth, two schools are under construction, a third is in the bidding process and more are planned.
The latest numbers from the Census show from 2010 to 2020, St. Johns County’s population grew by 83,000. The total population is around 292,000 people.
The district currently has more than 22,000 pre-K through 5th-grade students, according to the superintendent. That’s more than the total student population pre-K through 12th grade two decades ago.
To help manage that growth, in the past five years, the county has built, one elementary school, three K-8 schools and two high schools. The most recent project was Beachside High, which opened its doors this school year.
Earlier this month, the school district signed off on a $65.2 million bid to build a K-8 school on Twin Creek Drive in the Beacon Lake community off County Road 210.
The school will serve about 1,500 students.
Another K-8 school, this time in the Shearwater neighborhood, is underway. Both of those schools are expected to open for the 2024-2025 school year.
A third school is also planned for the Rivertown community.
It’s in the bidding process and could also open as early as 2024.
Because the county is still growing, the district says it plans to build an additional elementary school and also to expand one in the next five years.
