 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2018) |
| Polk County Public Schools | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Polk County , Florida United States | |
| District information | |
| Grades | Pre-school through 12th |
| Superintendent | Frederick Heid |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Polk County Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Bartow, Florida, United States. [1] The district serves Polk County.
Before 1965, Polk County maintained two separate school systems, one for white students, and a separate system for non-white students. In 1963, a group of parents of Black students attempted to have their children admitted to the all-white schools. When their applications were denied by the school board, they filed suit in federal district court. In early 1965, a federal judge ordered the schools to formulate a plan to integrate both students and teachers, and provide equal facilities and programs for all students regardless of race. For 1965, the district instituted a sham desegregation plan. In 1969, after additional adverse federal rulings, the district adopted another plan which also proved to be ineffective at integrating the schools. The schools became substantially integrated by 1994. [2]
By October 13, 2021, 17 employees died in the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, with 15 of them having started work for the fall semester. [3]
In November 2007, four Polk County School Board members interviewed by The Ledger daily newspaper said they would support a resolution advising the Florida Board of Education to revise proposed science standards to include alternative theories to evolution. [4]
In 2013 the district expelled a 16-year-old girl after her experiment mixing household materials resulted in a small explosion. The student was arrested and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device. Scientists posted tweets condemning the district's response. [5] Tiffany Madison of the Washington Times argued that the district's punishment reflected American schools becoming "mindless, bureaucratic prisons". [6]
The district requires all students in Kindergarten through 8th grade to wear school uniforms. [7]
Polk County Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the nation, encompassing more than 150 schools and serving more than 100,000 students through both traditional K-12 schools and a variety of other programs.[ citation needed ]
Polk County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The county population was 602,095, as of the 2010 census. Its county seat is Bartow, and its largest city is Lakeland.
Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first brigade commander of the Confederate Army to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 17,298 and an estimated population of 20,147 in 2019. It is part of the Lakeland−Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 584,383 in 2009. As of 2020, the mayor of Bartow is Scott Sjoblom.
Frostproof is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The city is located in southern Polk County on the Lake Wales Ridge. The population was 2,992 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,273. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. As of 2019, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales is located in central Florida, west of Lake Kissimmee and east of Tampa.
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 112,136. Lakeland is a principal city of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is fifty-one miles east of Tampa. The population was 49,219 at the 2020 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 estimates, this city had a population of 44,955, making it the second most populated city in Polk County. It is a principal city of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bartow Senior High School is the only high school in Bartow, Florida. It resulted from a merger of the whites-only Summerlin Institute and Union Academy, a school for African Americans, after desegregation.
Polk State College, formerly Polk Community College, is a public college in Winter Haven, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System.
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a large public school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education. The school system is headquartered in Upper Marlboro and the district serves Prince George's County. The district is headed by Dr. Monica Goldson and a 14-member Board of Education.
Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based in the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center in downtown Orlando. As of the 2020-21 school year, OCPS has an enrollment of 206,058 students, making it the 9th largest school district in the United States and the fourth largest in Florida. The school district also employs over 25,125 instructional and classified employees, which make up more than 95% of the OCPS work force.
Douglas County School District Re. 1 is a school district that serves Douglas County, Colorado. The district was formed in 1958 by the consolidation of 17 smaller school districts, adding the "Re. 1" to its name to note the district's first reorganization.
Lake Region High School is a public high school located in Eagle Lake, Florida. It is operated by Polk County Public Schools, the countywide public school district.
The School District of Lee County manages public education in Lee County, Florida. As of the 2019–20 school year, there were 95,647 students attending 119 schools in the district, which had an operating budget of $1.327 billion.
McKeel Academy of Technology is a junior and senior high school of over 1,000 students located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It is located approximately a half mile southeast of Kathleen High School and cannot be viewed from any major road. In addition to being technology oriented, the school stresses career choices for each student. The school originally was Seth McKeel Jr High, and became McKeel Academy in the 1990s. McKeel Academy is a school of choice and students from anywhere within Polk County can attend. Entering students are selected through an open enrollment lottery. Students graduating from one of the McKeel Elementary Schools, siblings of current students, students that were previously in South Mckeel Academy, and children of staff members are given priority.
Winter Haven Area Transit is a bus system based in Winter Haven, Florida. The system operates 9 of its own buses, and another 4 buses are provided for WHAT by the Citrus Connection. There are 8 routes serving Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lakeland, Lake Alfred, Haines City, Lake Wales, Frostproof, Bartow, Dundee and Fort Meade.
Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) is a public school district that covers Seminole County, Florida. As of September 2006, the total district wide enrollment was 66,351 students.
Rochelle School of the Arts (RSA) is a K–8 magnet school in Lakeland, Florida that has a specific focus on art-related subjects. It offers a variety of classes, such as Art, Band, Dance, Orchestra, Theatre, and Vocal. Rochelle has many different other classes that students can participate in such as keyboard, creative writing, photography, television production, robotics, theatre tech, musical theatre, art, women's choir, men's choir, Treble Choir, Show Choir, Physical Education and handbells. There are many clubs at Rochelle that do not have a class such as, Rocketry Club, Chess Club, Junior Thespians, Ukulele, SSYRA club, National Junior Honor Society, P.E.A.R.L.S, Math Counts, Golf Club, Recycling Squad, and Robotics.
Union Academy is a magnet middle school in Bartow, Florida. It dates to 1897 when it opened as an elementary school for African Americans. It was expanded to include a high school in 1923. The high school was merged into Summerlin Institute in 1969 following the desegregation era and its students became part of Bartow High School on the Summerlin campus. Union Academy became a Middle School.
