A $48 million elementary school rising at the corner of Persimmon Boulevard and Green Lane in Westlake is ahead of schedule and on budget, with the Palm Beach County School District confirming it will open in August 2027. The three-story, 97,000-square-foot campus will hold 972 students, giving the fast-growing city its first public school and, for many families, a walk to class instead of a long car commute.
The district officially broke ground on the campus on April 30, according to Boca Post. Architectural firm Zyscovich LLC designed the building, and Moss & Associates is handling construction using a prototype previously built for Saddle View Elementary near the Arden community, per the Westlake Wanderer. Joseph Sanches, chief operating officer of the Palm Beach County School District, said the project is currently running ahead of schedule and within its budget, according to WPTV.
A Campus Designed for Growth
Sitting on a 12-acre parcel, the school will feature STEM labs, specialized art and performance rooms, an integrated exterior covered play area, and an outdoor patio connected directly to a music lab, the Westlake Wanderer's report details. District officials say the building will carry a modern design, enhanced security measures, solar panel installations, and energy-efficient systems, though the school still has no name. WPTV reports the district plans to establish a naming committee in the coming months to help choose both the school's name and its mascot.
Traffic planning has also factored into the design, with vehicles entering via Persimmon Boulevard and exiting via Green Lane, backed by dedicated right-turn lanes to manage flow, per the same Westlake Wanderer account. The new campus is expected to require roughly 100 staff members, hired in equal thirds from nearby feeder schools such as Golden Grove and Acreage Pines, from the broader school district, and from new applicants, the outlet reports.
Westlake's Explosive Growth Drives the Need
The new school reflects just how fast Westlake has grown since its 2016 incorporation as Palm Beach County's 39th municipality. The city's population surged from roughly 900 residents in 2020 to more than 9,000 by 2025, making it the county's fastest-growing city by percentage, according to The Real Deal. Master developer Minto Communities USA is approved to build up to 6,500 homes across Westlake's 3,800 acres and has led all Palm Beach County municipalities in annual single-family building permits since 2020, per Florida Trend. Commercial development has followed the rooftops, with Walmart paying $11.7 million in 2026 for 24 acres to build a 189,000-square-foot Supercenter near a planned Lowe's on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, The Real Deal reports.
Westlake Mayor JP O'Connor, who has a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old, called the school incredible for the city and said it carries personal significance for his family, according to WPTV. The city currently has no gifted school of its own, a gap some parents hope the new campus will help close.
What Families Are Hoping For
Krystal Lexima, whose daughter will be a first grader when the school opens, told WPTV she wants her children to attend an A-rated school with extracurricular activities, and she believes the new campus will benefit parents of gifted children as well as students in special education. Darline Winewski, one of Westlake's original homeowners and the school's incoming principal, said she wants the building to become the center of the community. WPTV notes that families being able to walk or bike to school is expected to cut down on commuting and ease broader transportation issues in the area.
The buildout in Westlake stands in contrast to trends elsewhere in the county. As Hoodline previously reported, the Palm Beach County School District saw a district-wide drop of more than 6,200 students across public and charter campuses during the 2025–2026 school year, a decline tied directly to the state's student-based funding formula. Westlake's surge is also reflected in a municipal incentive: the city's Housing Assistance Purchase Program Yearly, or HAPPY, offers eligible essential service personnel — including local school district educators — up to $35,000 in downpayment assistance for new townhomes, according to reporting from WLRN and the Palm Beach Post.
