ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — As St. Lucie County keeps building new schools to keep up with rapid growth, local law enforcement budgets aren’t necessarily growing at the same pace, and district leaders say that won’t be allowed to affect student safety.
St. Lucie Public Schools is adding nearly 2,000 students a year, according to Superintendent Dr. Jon R. Prince. Treasure Coast High School alone enrolls around 3,000 students.
During the most recent budget workshop, Port St. Lucie Police were told they won’t be getting any new officers heading into next year. City leaders have said they won’t fund 184 requested positions, including 25 new officers the department had planned to add this year to keep pace with growth, as the city braces for a possible loss of tens of millions of dollars in property tax revenue if a statewide amendment passes in November…