Good Morning, Sunland
It’s Tuesday! And to keep the newsletter from running too long, I’m dropping my review of Sara’s Kitchen right here… and I was completely blown away. I didn’t know just how Sara’s Kitchen got down, but the food was incredible in both taste and price.
Having never been before, I went with the everything omelet and grits (needed some help, but still were great!). I loved how the omelet wasn’t folded, but spread out more like a dish. Anywho… if you haven’t been, it’s worth the trip. Alright…
🍽️ 772 Eats: If you’re looking for more spots to try, check out 772eats.com. It’s a local food guide I built so you can find new favorites, save them, and keep track of what you want to try next. The first 100 restaurants are free, and the full guide and journal are there if you want more.
Ja’Min Devon
Sponsored: 🍗 Stoney’s Summer Specials
Stoney is stretching your dollars and your belly. That $5 Tuesday Snack Pack? Now it runs Tuesday and Wednesday.
That means three days of full meals for under $10… in 2025. I know. Unheard of.
That’s why I’m so happy to share this, and even happier that Stoney’s is sponsoring the newsletter. Support those who support us.
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🍴 Check the menu here
🍋 The Main Squeeze: St. Lucie’s Plan to Sell 4 Schools
The St. Lucie School Board finally laid out a plan that has been simmering for months, to sell three prime campuses on Virginia Avenue, Lawnwood Elementary, St. Lucie Elementary, and Dale Cassens, plus Garden City, then use part of the proceeds to build a brand new K-8 beside Dan McCarty and to service outstanding debt from other construction projects across the district.
Dale Cassens students would move into the current McCarty building, and everyone else would stay put through a lease back arrangement the district has not yet explained. Sunland News broke the story in June, and the district held a town hall soon after to address the buzz. Last week’s workshop supplied a few details but left some questions unanswered.
🔑 What the district outlined
Four schools on the market. Three sit on the busy Virginia corridor; Garden City sits further north would also be sold.
New construction target. A K-8 next to Dan McCarty opens “no sooner than 2028,” though staff admit that date is flexible.
Alternative education shuffle. Dale Cassens programs move into the current Dan McCarty campus, giving those students a gym and better CTE labs for the first time.
No new borrowing. Sale dollars would fund the build so the district can stay under its debt ceiling while charter-school revenue sharing ramps up to one hundred percent.
🏗️ Why leaders say it matters: Superintendent Jon Prince calls it a chance to give Fort Pierce students the same first-class space now rising in Tradition, without raising taxes or taking on fresh debt. The district already has $250 million in projects underway and sits at thirty-four percent of revenue in bond obligations. Prince told the board, “We cannot borrow much. Selling assets is the only responsible path.”
❓ Questions still hanging in the air
Lease-back math. How much rent will the district pay to stay in buildings it once owned, and for how long?
Sale price. What are the parcels really worth, and who is lining up to buy?
Timeline risk. If 2028 slips, where do students go and who eats the added cost?
Debt headroom. How will sharing one-point-five-mill revenue with charters affect future borrowing?
Neighborhood impact. What happens to property values once four campuses change hands?
Board members backed the concept but asked for public workshops on finance, naming, and staff assignments. Community speaker Sabrina Taylor took the mic, asking for full transparency as details emerge.
🗓️ What happens next: Dr. Prince: "Our desire is probably moving forward every month or two months, we'll have to do an update for the board" The board would only vote when they have actual contracts: "as we look at negotiating contracts...working with folks that are interested in these assets"
🗣️ Your turn: Is selling four campuses to pay cash for one new K-8 the right move, or does the district need another plan? Leave your thoughts here 📝
(Sunland will publish a deeper dive on district debt and borrowing limits later this month. Stay tuned.)
🥳 What’s Happening: Out of Town Events
Thursday, Aug 7
🎷 Jazz Fusion Concert – Riverside Park, Vero Beach. Free Live-in-the-Loop show under the oaks, full bars & food trucks on-site. | 5:30 PM – 8 PM | Link
Friday, Aug 8
🎨 Art After Dark – Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach. After-hours mix of galleries, live performances, film shorts & hands-on art activities. | 5 PM – 10 PM | $10 adults / $5 students | Link
🎷 Velvet Vibes Jazz After Dark – Sweet Desires Dessert Lounge, Vero Beach. Smooth sax, cocktails & cakes for a chilled Friday vibe. | 7 PM – 10 PM | Link
🌈 ER Bradley’s Pink Floyd Show – ER Bradley’s, West Palm Beach. Dark Side of the Sol performs Floyd classics on the waterfront. | 7 PM – 10 PM | Free | Link
Sunday, Aug 10
🕸️ Melbourne Oddities Expo – Melbourne Auditorium. 100+ vendors of curiosities, crystals, taxidermy & more; family-friendly, all indoors with free parking. | 12 PM – 4 PM | Free | Link
If you have an event, send it to me here
🤩 People Pass: Thank you Cheryl and Jean!
From school coverage to better tools like play.sunlandnews.com, every upgrade you see is made possible by readers who pitch in. Thank you to everyone who already has. This is what the People Pass makes possible. Want to support it too?
🧾 Last Drop: Electric Boom!
⚡️ Residential power bills up 6 % nationwide and climbing faster where new data centers are popping up. Florida is in the mid-tier but still orange on the map. See the snapshot
🏠 Zillow finds prices rising in the Midwest and Northeast while most Southern metros, including several in Florida, keep slipping. Supply gluts and high insurance costs are the big drag. Check your market
💙 Tradition’s 73-ft “Heart in the Park” sculpture finally gets its grand opening Aug 23, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. CPR demos, shops, selfies and the artist Jefrë on site. Event info
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