PALM BEACH GARDENS — The Benjamin School wants the city's permission to increase enrollment in grades 9 through 12 by up to 85 students.
The proposal would give the Upper School campus off Central Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens a total of 575 students if Benjamin adds those slots. It comes at a time of increased interest in private schools in Palm Beach County amid the influx of wealthy families who moved to South Florida amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Several business owners, including Palm Beach resident and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, are either building new private schools or enticing existing ones to expand to the county. One school, the Pine Crest School, plans to build a a third South Florida campus in West Palm Beach.
Another,
Wingrove Academy, is proposed in Wellington on land that Ross' firm, Related Ross, is buying from the village near the Mall at Wellington Green.
Benjamin School: No plans to add students now; request plans for future
The Palm Beach Gardens City Council is scheduled to consider Benjamin's request at its Sept. 10 meeting. The city's Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board recommended approval of the move on Aug. 11. A prepared statement released on behalf of Benjamin on Monday, Aug. 17, said the school has no immediate plans to increase its enrollment.
"Twenty years ago, the City of Palm Beach Gardens approved our original enrollment cap of 490 students on our Upper School campus," the statement said. "We are now requesting an updated capacity of 575 students as a proactive measure for long-term planning.
"While we continue to experience strong demand, we have no immediate plans to increase our current enrollment. Rather, this request ensures we are prepared for the future."
Ken Tuma, of the West Palm Beach landscape architecture firm Urban Design Studio, told planning and zoning board members Benjamin's request for 85 additional enrollment slots is based on projected demand.
In its application on behalf of Benjamin, the firm cited the recent population growth in Palm Beach Gardens and the surrounding region, and an increased demand for private education.
According to Palm Beach Gardens documents, The Benjamin School also wants to add 81 parking spaces to its Upper School campus. The spaces would be constructed west of the school's football field, on land previously designated for a swimming pool that was never built.
These spaces would be designated both for faculty and student use, Tuma said.
One resident of the nearby Alton community told the planning board he supports allowing Benjamin to increase its student enrollment. However, the resident said he has concerns about the number of students using public parking spaces along Grandiflora.
He said that by Christmas, as many as 15 to 20 students per day usually parking along the street, taking up spaces in front of homes so they can walk to school.
The resident said he also has concerns about the number of drivers exiting from the Benjamin campus onto Grandiflora after school and said Benjamin should encourage students to use Central Boulevard instead.
Julius Whigham II covers northern Palm Beach County and public safety for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Benjamin wants OK to add students at Upper School campus | Exclusive
