A collaboration between the Department of Student Services and the Office of Teaching & Learning, St. Lucie Public Schools’ school counseling program is designed to be comprehensive in scope, meaning it meets the needs all students through a preventative model to ensure all students achieve school success through academic, career, and personal/social development. This is done by providing programs and services to meet the needs of all students at various stages of growth and development.

School Counseling

School counselors must hold a master’s degree or higher in school counseling/guidance and counseling, which must include a minimum of 600 hours of supervised internship. As the social/emotional experts of their schools, school counselors provide services through comprehensive school counseling programs, which include individual counseling, group counseling, consultation with parents, teachers, administration, and community stakeholders, as well as presenting classroom guidance programming on a variety of topics.

Meet Our School Counselors

School Counseling Resources for Students/Families

Graduation Requirements
Florida students entering grade nine may choose from one of five options to earn a standard diploma. They are:

For additional information, visit FLDOE. If you have questions, please contact your school counselor.

Post-Secondary Information

College & Financial Aid Information

District-Based Support Staff

Nikki Poole, M.Ed
Coordinator of Secondary School Guidance & Advisement
Office of Teaching & Learning
email: nikki.poole@stlucieschools.org | ph: 772-429-7565
Supporting secondary school counselors (6-12) and graduation coaches

Lilia Kneidel, Ph.D., NCC, NCSC
Program Specialist for Elementary School Counseling
Department of Student Services
email: lilia.kneidel@stlucieschools.org | ph: 772-429-4560
Supporting elementary school counselors (PK-5)

Service Hours

Donating your time to help an organization or group of people can be a great opportunity to interact with your community and get experiences you can use to make decisions about your future.  Community service hours are required for Bright Futures Scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Students who participate in community service hours can add the information to their resume and college applications. Hours must be earned between 9th and 12th grades to be used to qualify for scholarships. Requirements for community service hours:

  • Service hours must include work for non-profit community service organizations, activities on behalf of a candidate for public office, business or government internship, or school sponsored community service opportunities.
  • Service hours may not be service to family members, defined as parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and their spouses, including all step relations.

The following are required to have community service hours entered by school personnel:

  • Hours must be documented in writing on the organization’s letterhead and must include the organization’s contact phone number and signature of the representative from the organization.The letter must be submitted with the SLPS Service Hour Form prior to any deadline set by the school, not to surpass the student’s graduation date.
  • Students must log hours of community service on the SLPS Service Hour Form. These forms must be signed by the student and parent, then submitted to the school’s designee prior to deadlines, not to surpass the student’s graduation date.
  • Students must evaluate and reflect on their service experience by submitting a written paper or other presentation. This must be submitted together with a letter from the organization and the SLPS Service Hour Form prior to the deadline, not to surpass the student’s graduation date.

Work Hours to be used in lieu of Service Hours for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program

Florida House Bill 461 allows high school students graduating in the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, to meet the volunteer service requirements prescribed under each award in the Bright Futures Program through 100 hours of paid work. A student meeting an award requirement through paid work must have approval from the school designee, the administrators of a non-public school, or the Department of Education for a home education program student. Work hours must be earned between 9th and 12th grades in order to be used to qualify for scholarships. The following is required to have work service hours entered by school personnel.

  • Students must log work hours on the SLPS Service Hour Form. These forms must be signed by the student and parent and submitted to your high school’s designee prior to advertised deadlines, not to surpass the student’s graduation date.
  • Students must show proof of work experience. This can be done by producing the following documents:
    • Letter signed by employer with contact phone number
    • Check stub (darken the social security number)
    • Any other appropriate form of work verification (deemed by school administration)
  • Students must evaluate and reflect on their service experience by submitting a written paper or other presentation. This must be submitted together with proof of work experience and SLPS Service Hour Form prior to the deadline, not to surpass the student’s graduation date.

Helpful Websites