WPTV gets exclusive look at Palm Beach County’s newest high school in 18 years

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A highly anticipated meeting is happening Thursday evening to determine which students will go to Palm Beach County’s first new high school in 18 years.

Dr. Joaquín García High School, located on Lyons Road, just north of Lantana Road in western Lake Worth, will open in August of 2023.

The School District of Palm Beach County’s Advisory Boundary Committee is reviewing zoning plans for the school, which will shuffle hundreds of area high school students around as a result.

School District of Palm Beach County

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Education

Workers may fill Dr. Joaquín García High School right now, but next August it will be all about the students.

“We begin interacting with community leaders and interacting with student leaders and have those student leaders come in ahead of time and begin to create a sense of culture of what they want to see,” Principal Oscar Otero said.

Otero on Thursday talked WPTV through what it’s like to lead a new school before classes even begin.

WPTV

“It’s the community who’s coming,” Otero said. “And if you allow them to help build it as students and families, then you are going to have a lot better buy-in.”

Otero gave WPTV an exclusive tour of the progress so far on this massive new campus that the principal said is modeled more like a college, with the best new technology, security, academics, and athletics.

WPTV

The second floor media center will be full of books and space for students to collaborate. Some of the science labs are coming together, too.

“It’s going to be noisy come August,” Otero said.

Inside the gymnasium, the basketball nets are up, the scoreboard is on the way, and WPTV just learned this will be home to the Dr. García Bulldogs.

But just who will be a Bulldog?

The Advisory Boundary Committee is reviewing three proposed zoning maps that would shift about 2,000 students to Dr. Joaquín García High School from overcrowded area high schools, and shuffle hundreds of others in the process.

WATCH: Roughly 2,000 families could be impacted by new Palm Beach County high school, student rezoning

Roughly 2,000 families could be impacted by new Palm Beach County high school, student rezoning

Otero understands that can bring some concerns.

“The big question is, will I fit? How will I fit?” Otero said.

But for Otero, this school brings a special connection and opportunity.

It’s the first in Palm Beach County named after a Hispanic leader, Dr. Joaquín García, a founding member of the Hispanic Education Coalition of Palm Beach County who passed away in 2021.

School District of Palm Beach County

“Dr. García was an incredible leader and definitely someone who believed in the power of community,” Otero said. “And in that sense, he always sought to lift others, knowing that others would then lift those around them.”

That’s the mission and legacy Otero carries as he prepares this new school.

“We want to be a light in the community and have the community light us,” Otero said.

Dr. Joaquín García High School will feature business information technology and medical sciences programs.

The school district’s Advisory Boundary Committee is meeting Thursday evening to review the proposed student attendance zone maps, take public comment, and potentially vote to recommend one of the maps to Superintendent Mike Burke and the Palm Beach County School Board for final approval.

In addition to Dr. Joaquín García High School, the Advisory Boundary Committee on Thursday will also discuss zoning for the new West Boynton Middle School on Acme Dairy Road in west Boynton Beach.

That proposed map, however, is a lot less complicated and impacts fewer schools.