Polk County Public Schools, Florida

Polk County Public Schools
Polk County, Florida
District details
Superintendent: Frederick Heid
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Polk County Public Schools is a school district in Florida.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

• Superintendent
• School board
• Elections
• Budget
• Teacher salaries
• Academic performance
• Students
• Staff
• Schools
• Contact information

Superintendent

This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Frederick Heid is the superintendent of Polk County Public Schools. Heid was appointed superintendent on July 1, 2021. Heid's previous career experience includes being the superintendent for District 300 in Illinois, the chief academic officer for Duval County Public Schools in Florida, and the bureau chief for school improvement for the Florida Department of Education.

Past superintendents

• Jacqueline M. Byrd was the superintendent of Polk County Public Schools from 2016 to 2021. Byrd's previous career experience includes working as a teacher, principal, and district administrator.
• Kathryn LeRoy was the superintendent of Polk County Public Schools from 2013 to 2016.

School board

The Polk County Public Schools school board consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected to specific geographical districts in at-large elections.

Office	Name	Date assumed office
Polk County Public Schools school board District 1	William Allen	November 17, 2020
Polk County Public Schools school board District 2	Travis Keyes	November 19, 2024
Polk County Public Schools school board District 3	Rick Nolte	November 22, 2022
Polk County Public Schools school board District 4	Sara Beth Reynolds Wyatt	2016
Polk County Public Schools school board District 5	Kay Fields	2002
Polk County Public Schools school board District 6	Justin Sharpless	November 22, 2022
Polk County Public Schools school board District 7	Lisa Bone Miller	2018

Elections

See also: Polk County Public Schools, Florida, elections

Elections are held on a staggered basis in the November general election.

Three seats on the board were up for general election on November 5, 2024. A primary was scheduled for August 20, 2024.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.

Join the conversation about school board politics

Stay up to date on school board politics!

Subscribe for a weekly roundup of the sharpest commentary and research from across the political spectrum with Ballotpedia's Hall Pass newsletter.

Email *

First Name *

Last Name

Please complete the Captcha above

Public participation in board meetings

The Polk County Public Schools school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:

“

The School Board recognizes the value to school governance of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on school matters of community interest. Members of the public shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on a proposition before the Board. For purposes of the policy, a proposition is an item before the Board for a vote, and includes, but is not necessarily limited to, all items on the agenda noted as unfinished business, consent, and nonconsent. A proposition may also include a vote on a motion to rescind or to amend action previously taken. A proposition does not include items wherever found on the agenda upon which the Board votes in its quasi-judicial capacity. The opportunity to be heard need not occur at the same meeting at which the Board takes official action on the proposition if the opportunity occurs at a meeting that is during the decision-making process and is within reasonable proximity in time before the meeting at which the Board takes the official action. This policy does not prohibit the Board from maintaining orderly conduct or proper decorum in a public meeting. The opportunity to be heard is subject to policies adopted by the Board as follows: A. Guidelines regarding the amount of time an individual has to address the Board: 1. Each statement made by a member of the public shall be limited to three (3) minutes duration. Persons will be recognized in the order in which the requests were received. 2. The time period may be extended by the presiding officer. B. Procedures for allowing representatives of groups or factions on a proposition to address the Board: Rather than all members of groups or factions for or against a proposition addressing the Board at meetings in which a large number of individuals wish to be heard, the Board encourages representatives of such groups or factions to address the proposition in their representative capacity. C. Procedures or forms for an individual to use in order to inform the Board of a desire to be heard: Attendees must register their intention to participate in the public portion of the meeting upon their arrival at the meeting by completing a speaker's form at the entry of the meeting hall indicating his/her support, opposition, or neutrality on a proposition; and indicating his/her designation of a representative to speak for him/her or his/her group on a proposition if s/he so chooses. D. Designated period of time for public comment: The portion of the meeting during which the participation of the public is invited shall be limited to thirty (30) minutes, unless extended by a vote of the Board, except that all speakers who signed up to speak and who were outside of the thirty (30) minute time limit may address the Board at the end of the meeting. The presiding officer of each Board meeting at which public participation is permitted shall administer the rules of the Board for its conduct. The presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules: A. Public participation shall be permitted as indicated on the agenda and before the Board takes official position on any action item under consideration. B. Participants must be recognized by the presiding officer and will be requested to preface their comments by an announcement of their name, address, and group affiliation. C. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer; no person may address or question Board members individually. Staff members shall not be expected to answer questions from the audience unless called upon by the Board Chair or the Superintendent. D. Recordings are permitted under the following conditions: 1. No obstructions are created between the Board and the audience. 2. No interviews are conducted in the meeting room while the Board is in session. 3. No commentary, adjustment of equipment, or positioning of operators is made that would distract either the Board or members of the audience while the Board is in session. E. The presiding officer may: 1. interrupt, warn, or terminate a participant's statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, or irrelevant; 2. request any individual to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum; 3. request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting; or 4. call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action. No Board action shall be taken on requests made during public discussion unless the Board declares the matter to be an emergency in accordance with current law. Any other requests that the Board chooses to take action on shall be placed on an agenda for a subsequent meeting.

”

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Revenue
• Expenditures

Revenue, 2020-2021

SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$180,292,000	$1,794	15%
Local:	$377,885,000	$3,760	32%
State:	$627,924,000	$6,248	53%
Total:	$1,186,101,000	$11,803

Expenditures, 2020-2021

TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$1,295,313,000	$12,889
Total Current Expenditures:	$1,063,927,000	$10,586
Instructional Expenditures:	$687,930,000	$6,845	53%
Student and Staff Support:	$113,893,000	$1,133	9%
Administration:	$79,666,000	$792	6%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$182,438,000	$1,815	14%
Total Capital Outlay:	$203,682,000	$2,026
Construction:	$182,010,000	$1,811
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$13,786,000	$137
Interest on Debt:	$13,918,000	$138

Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year	Minimum
2023-2024	$47,500
2020-2021	$45,172
2019-2020	$40,972

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.

• Mathematics
• Reading/language arts
• Graduation rates

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	39	68	25	33	40-44	42	53
2018-2019	50	77	35	43	40-44	53	62
2017-2018	50	78	35	43	45-49	51	62
2016-2017	46	72	31	41	35-39	51	56
2015-2016	43	69	28	38	35-39	46	53
2014-2015	43	74	28	39	35-39		53
2013-2014	48	77	32	43	46		57
2012-2013	49	78	34	45	48		57
2011-2012	48	76	32	44	46		56
2010-2011	61	85	46	56	59		69

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	43	71	30	37	40-44	48	55
2018-2019	47	71	34	40	40-44	52	59
2017-2018	46	71	33	40	35-39	51	57
2016-2017	46	71	32	40	35-39	53	57
2015-2016	45	72	30	39	40-44	50	55
2014-2015	45	72	28	39	45-49		54
2013-2014	49	72	33	43	43		59
2012-2013	50	73	34	44	46		59
2011-2012	48	70	32	42	47		59
2010-2011	55	71	38	48	53		64

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2019-2020	87	>=95	87	86	80-89	85-89	87
2018-2019	81	90-94	79	79	80-89	80-84	84
2017-2018	80	90-94	78	80	70-79	70-74	82
2016-2017	75	90-94	70	75	60-69	70-74	78
2015-2016	72	85-89	68	69	70-79	70-74	74
2014-2015	69	85-89	61	68	60-69	75-79	72
2013-2014	69	90-94	60	66	60-69		74
2012-2013	69	80-84	62	66	60-79		73
2011-2012	68	90-94	62	62	>=50		72
2010-2011	66	80-84	60	61	>=50		70

Students

• Enrollment
• Demographics

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023	109,558	3.8
2021-2022	105,422	4.7
2020-2021	100,495	-2.4
2019-2020	102,952	1.5
2018-2019	101,408	1.5
2017-2018	99,892	-2.4
2016-2017	102,295	0.6
2015-2016	101,635	1.9
2014-2015	99,723	1.8
2013-2014	97,953	1.0
2012-2013	96,937	0.9
2011-2012	96,070	0.9
2010-2011	95,178	0.7
2009-2010	94,530	-0.1
2008-2009	94,657	0.7
2007-2008	93,980	1.3
2006-2007	92,801	3.6
2005-2006	89,443	3.5
2004-2005	86,292	2.5
2003-2004	84,135	2.3
2002-2003	82,179	1.2
2001-2002	81,207	2.1
2000-2001	79,477	1.0
1999-2000	78,685	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2022-2023

RACE	Polk County Public Schools (%)	Florida K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.2	0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	1.6	2.8
Black	20.3	21.0
Hispanic	41.5	36.4
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.2	0.2
Two or More Races	2.7	4.1
White	33.6	35.3

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

• Teachers
• Administrators
• Other staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Polk County Public Schools had 5,972.60 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.34.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	58.00
Kindergarten:	384.00
Elementary:	2,174.20
Secondary:	2,462.00
Total:	5,972.60

Polk County Public Schools employed 65.00 district administrators and 395.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	65.00
District Administrative Support:	200.00
School Administrators:	395.00
School Administrative Support:	493.00

Other staff, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	1,588.40
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	88.00
Total Guidance Counselors:	253.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	68.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	145.00
Librarians/Media Specialists:	80.00
Library/Media Support:	47.00
Student Support Services:	1,632.00
Other Support Services:	2,573.25

Schools

Polk County Public Schools operates 168 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools

SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Achievement Academy	157	PK-PK
Alta Vista Elementary School	769	PK-5
Alturas Elementary School	350	PK-5
Auburndale Central Elementary School	383	PK-5
Auburndale Senior High School	1,716	9-12
Bartow Elementary Academy	518	KG-5
Bartow Middle School	1,046	6-8
Bartow Senior High School	2,125	9-12
Bella Citta	940	PK-6
Berkley Accelerated Middle School	623	6-10
Berkley Elementary School	696	PK-5
Bethune Academy	428	PK-5
Bill Duncan Opportunity Center	62	6-12
Bok Academy	611	6-8
Bridgeprep Academy Of Polk	422	KG-8
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	465	PK-5
Chain Of Lakes Collegiate High	328	11-12
Chain Of Lakes Elementary School	1,130	PK-5
Citrus Ridge A Civics Academy	1,457	PK-8
Clarence Boswell Elementary School	636	PK-5
Cleveland Court Elementary School	393	KG-5
Combee Academy Of Design And Engineering	551	PK-5
Compass Middle Charter School	153	5-8
Crystal Lake Elementary School	409	PK-5
Crystal Lake Middle School	949	6-8
Cypress Junction Montessori	196	PK-8
Dale R Fair Babson Park Elementary	472	KG-5
Daniel Jenkins Academy Of Technology Middle School	516	6-8
Davenport Elementary	786	PK-5
Davenport High School	2,333	9-12
Davenport School Of The Arts	1,168	PK-8
Denison Middle School	738	6-8
Discovery Academy Of Lake Alfred	911	6-8
Discovery High School	911	9-12
Dixieland Elementary School	330	KG-5
Don E Woods Opportunity Center	56	6-12
Doris A. Sanders Learning Center	87	PK-12
Dr. Ne Roberts Elementary School	691	PK-5
Dundee Elementary Academy	653	PK-5
Dundee Ridge Middle Academy	773	6-8
Eagle Lake Elementary School	697	PK-5
Eastside Elementary School	615	PK-5
Eckerd Connects	25	6-12
Eckerd Connects Strive Academy	0
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary	529	PK-5
Edward W Bok Academy North	615	6-8
Elbert Elementary School	601	PK-5
Elementary - N Lakeland	0
Floral Avenue Elementary School	611	PK-5
Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School	786	6-12
Frank E. Brigham Academy	564	PK-5
Fred G. Garner Elementary School	901	PK-5
Fresh Start Community School	154	10-12
Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr Elementary School	917	PK-5
Frostproof Middle/Senior High	1,150	6-12
Garden Grove Elementary School	723	PK-5
Gause Academy Of Leadership	96	6-12
George W. Jenkins Senior High	2,451	9-12
Gibbons Street Pk Center	0	PK-PK
Griffin Elementary School	379	PK-5
Haines City Headstart Center	0	PK-PK
Haines City Senior High School	2,700	9-12
Hartridge Academy	201	KG-5
Highland City Elementary School	425	PK-5
Highlands Grove Elementary School	731	PK-5
Hillcrest Elementary School	662	PK-5
Horizons Elementary School	1,468	PK-5
Hospital Homebound	118	PK-12
Inwood Elementary School	298	PK-5
James E. Stephens Elementary School	356	PK-5
James W. Sikes Elementary School	563	PK-5
Janie Howard Wilson School	448	PK-5
Jean O'Dell Learning Center	73	PK-12
Jere L. Stambaugh Middle	1,127	6-8
Jesse Keen Elementary School	649	PK-5
Jewett Middle Academy Magnet	584	6-8
Jewett School Of The Arts	679	PK-8
John Snively Elementary	399	PK-5
Karen M. Siegel Academy	161	PK-12
Kathleen Elementary School	489	PK-5
Kathleen Middle School	821	6-8
Kathleen Senior High School	2,051	9-12
Lake Alfred Elementary School	821	PK-5
Lake Alfred Polytech Academy	645	6-8
Lake Gibson Middle School	1,218	6-8
Lake Gibson Senior High School	2,080	9-12
Lakeland Highlands Middle School	1,265	6-8
Lakeland Montessori Middle School	30	6-8
Lakeland Montessori School House	110	KG-6
Lakeland Senior High School	2,043	9-12
Lake Marion Creek Middle School	1,044	6-8
Lake Region High School	1,545	9-12
Lake Shipp Elementary School	628	PK-5
Lake Wales Senior High School	1,586	9-12
Language & Literacy Academy For Learning	282	PK-12
Laurel Elementary School	1,058	PK-5
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy	649	6-8
Lena Vista Elementary School	975	PK-5
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	525	PK-5
Lincoln Avenue Academy	526	KG-5
Loughman Oaks Elementary School	1,052	PK-5
Magnolia Montessori Academy	171	KG-8
Mater Academy Davenport	600	KG-5
Maynard A Traviss Technical Academy	140	6-12
Mckeel Academy Central	610	PK-6
Mckeel Academy Of Technology	1,727	7-12
Mclaughlin Academy Of Excellence	542	6-10
Medulla Elementary School	515	PK-5
Mi Escuela Montessori	202	PK-5
Mulberry Middle School	1,200	6-8
Mulberry Senior High School	1,315	9-12
Navigator Academy Of Leadership Davenport	874	KG-8
New Beginnings High School	753	6-12
North Lakeland Elementary School Of Choice	644	PK-5
Oscar J. Pope Elementary School	410	PK-5
Pace Center For Girls	49	6-12
Palmetto Elementary School	513	PK-5
Philip O'Brien Elementary School	627	PK-5
Pinewood Elementary School	709	PK-5
Polk Avenue Elementary School	531	PK-5
Polk City Elementary School	606	PK-5
Polk County Sheriff'S Central Center	29	6-12
Polk County Sheriffs Regional Detention Center	39	5-12
Polk Full Time Eschool	604	KG-12
Polk Grad Academy	34	9-12
Polk Halfway House	23	5-12
Polk Pre-Collegiate Academy	16	9-10
Polk State College Collegiate High School	353	11-12
Polk State Lakeland Gateway To College Charter High School	255	11-12
Polk Virtual Franchise	0	6-12
Polk Virtual Instruction Program	42	KG-12
Purcell Elementary School	516	PK-5
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	946	PK-5
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School	708	PK-5
Real Academy (Reaching Every Adolescent Learner)	269	4-12
Ridge Community High School	2,711	9-12
Ridge Technical Academy	84	6-12
Ridge Teen Parent Program	8	6-12
Ridgeview Global Studies Academy	1,551	KG-12
Rochelle School Of The Arts	803	PK-8
Roosevelt Academy	283	6-12
Rosabelle W. Blake Academy	642	PK-8
Sandhill Elementary School	991	PK-5
Scenic Terrace K-8	0
Scott Lake Elementary School	727	PK-5
Shelley S. Boone Middle School	1,403	6-8
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	739	PK-5
Sleepy Hill Middle School	1,090	6-8
Socrum Elementary School	546	PK-5
South Mckeel Academy	1,200	PK-6
Southwest Elementary School	382	PK-5
Southwest Middle School	801	6-8
Spessard L Holland Elementary	766	PK-5
Spook Hill Elementary School	584	PK-5
Tenoroc High School	1,127	9-12
Transition School	48	12-12
Union Academy	396	6-8
Valleyview Elementary School	861	PK-5
Victory Ridge Academy	298	PK-12
Wahneta Elementary School	507	PK-5
Walter Caldwell Elementary School	895	PK-5
Wendell Watson Elementary School	875	PK-5
Westwood Middle School	878	6-8
Willow Oak School	905	PK-5
Winston Academy Of Engineering	506	PK-5
Winter Haven Elementary 21c	0
Winter Haven Head Start	0	PK-PK
Winter Haven Senior High School	2,467	9-12

Contact information

Polk County Public Schools
P.O. Box 391
Bartow, FL 33831
Phone: 863-534-0500

About school boards

Education legislation in Florida

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Florida	School Board Elections	News and Analysis
List of school districts in Florida School board elections in Florida Public education in Florida	School board elections, 2025 Florida school board elections, 2025	School board election data analysis, 2024 United States school shootings, 1990-present

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Polk County Public Schools
• Florida School Boards Association
• Florida Department of Education